Evaluation of a program of Cardiovascular Rehabilitation Phase 1 modified for patients submitted to a surgery for Coronary artery bypass graft

The coronary heart disease is the major cause of morbidity and mortality in the modern world. Its surgical treatment for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), aims to improve the functioning and the prognostic state. Physiotherapy and cardiac rehabilitation programs have an important role in the patient recuperation after the surgical treatment for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The program rehabilitation should be initiated as early as possible to reduce the deleterious effects of prolonged bed rest, establish the intensity of the effort scheduled, and reduce the patient permanence in the hospital. The objective of this study was to compare the walking distance by patients undergoing CABG following the standard protocol for cardiac rehabilitation (Emory School of Medicine) with a new suggested protocol (modified protocol by Department of cardiac rehabilitation of Faculty of Physiotherapy, University of Franca – UNIFRAN). Data from 37 patients that have undergone CABG at the Hear Hospital “Octávio Quercia” of Franca, included in the group of hospital rehabilitation (Phase I), was analyzed in this study. These patients were submitted to walking just after discharge from the intensive care unit (ICU). The program started with two walking sessions daily, each one having twenty minutes that was gradually increased in accordance with the patient tolerance. The suggested protocol showed a better performance than the standard protocol. The patients following the new protocol walked a larger distance than those following the standard protocol, reduced the length of hospital staying