Functional Capacity Outcomes following Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine if this is possible to predict 3 mo post-CABG treadmill VO2pk outcomes from a combination of pre-surgical physical fitness and health and clinical status variables. To determine the VO2pk, subjects performed a maximal treadmill test using a ramp protocol and gas analysis. When all pre-surgical variables where included in a multiple linear regression, the analysis yielded a model that included the prior to surgery VSAQ, orthopedic limitations, and angiotensin converting enzymes (ACE) inhibitor drugs as significant predictors (R2 = 0.50, N = 63). When an RER of 1.1 was achieved during the treadmill test, myocardial infarction (MI) and if so, the length of time lapse from the MI, chronic heart failure, lipid lowering drugs, BMI, ACE inhibitor drugs, and orthopedic limitations (R2 = 0.56, N =29) were significant predictors. The data suggest that there is some relationship between post-surgical outcomes and pre-surgical physical fitness.