OBJECTIVE: To determine the feasibility of a cardiac prehabilitation (prehab) program for patients waiting for elective coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). DESIGN: A two-group parallel randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Medical fitness facility. SUBJECTS: Seventeen preoperative elective CABG surgery patients were randomized to standard care (n = 9) or prehab (n = 8). INTERVENTION: Standard care: three-hour preassessment appointment. Prehab: exercise and education classes for 60 minutes/day, twice weekly for at least four weeks. MAIN MEASURES: Data were collected at baseline, one week preoperatively, and three months postoperatively. The primary outcome measure was walking distance using a 6-minute walk test. Secondary outcome variables included 5-meter gait speed, and cardiac rehabilitation attendance three months postoperatively. RESULTS: Fifteen patients (standard care, n = 7; prehab, n = 8) completed the study. No prehab patients developed cardiac symptoms during study participation. Walking distance remained unchanged in the standard care group; whereas, the prehab group increased their walking distance to mean +/- SD 474 +/- 101 and 487 +/- 106 m at the preoperative and three month postoperative assessments (p < 0.05). Gait speed was unchanged in the standard care group, but improved in the prehab group by 27% and 33% preoperatively and three months postoperatively, respectively (p < 0.05). Enrollment in cardiac rehabilitation three months postoperatively was higher for prehab participants (100%) than standard care participants (43%; p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: These data provide evidence for the feasibility of a prehab intervention to improve the health status of patients waiting for elective CABG surgery. A larger trial of 92 patients will be utilized to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of prehab.

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