Effectiveness of physical rehabilitation program in children with repaired congenital heart diseases

Children with repaired congenital heart diseases (CHD) have low physical activity that causes a decrease in cardiorespiratory endurance. This is one of the risk factors for cardiovascular events. Physical exercises are recommended for children and adolescents with repaired CHD at all stages of rehabilitation after surgery. The purpose — to assess the effectiveness of physical rehabilitation program in children with repaired congenital heart diseases. Material and methods. 96 patients aged 8–13 years with repaired non-cyanotic CHD without obstructive heart lesions were studied. The children of the main group completed a physical exercise program and took ubidekarenone for a month twice a year. The children of the comparison group took only ubidecarenone. The cardiovascular system functioning was assessed in all subjects with the treadmill exercise test using the modified Bruce protocol. Results. After rehabilitation, the children of the main group had higher maximum systolic blood pressure, inotropic reserve, chronotropic reserve, work done, maximum double product and its reserve than the children of the comparison group. There was a decrease in the resting heart rate and a decrease in the time to restore the heart rate after the exercise test. In the main group, more children than in the comparison group had a normotonic type of hemodynamic reaction to physical exercise after completing the rehabilitation program. The functions of the cardiovascular system increased in 87.5%, 42/48 (p < 0.001) children of the main group and in 25.0%, 12/48 children of the comparison group. Conclusion. The rehabilitation program using physical exercises and ubidecarenone had a positive effect on the functional state of the cardiovascular system in children with repaired CHD.