Cardiac Rehabilitation in TAVI Patients: Safety and Benefits: A Narrative Review

TL;DR

This review explores how cardiac rehabilitation helps patients after TAVI surgery, focusing on safety, benefits, and areas needing more research.

Contribution

The paper provides a narrative review summarizing the safety and benefits of cardiac rehabilitation for TAVI patients and identifies gaps in optimal rehabilitation protocols.

Findings

Cardiac rehabilitation is safe and beneficial for TAVI patients in terms of functional capacity and quality of life.

There is limited evidence on the optimal timing, duration, and intensity of rehabilitation protocols for TAVI patients.

Personalized rehabilitation strategies are needed to improve long-term outcomes for TAVI patients.

Abstract

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has redefined the management of severe aortic stenosis, particularly in surgical high-risk patients. As the number of TAVI procedures increases, there is a growing need for effective post-procedural care. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) has emerged as a critical component of treatment in these patients. The most recent update of the European recommendations highlights the importance of including post-TAVI patients in CR programs. However, the benefits of CR in this particular patient group still need to be fully understood. The objective of this narrative review is to summarize the safety and benefits of post-TAVI CR by evaluating its impact on functional capacity, frailty, muscular strength, mental health, quality of life, and long-term survival. While emerging evidence supports its safety and effectiveness in the aforementioned outcomes, gaps remain regarding the optimal rehabilitation protocols, including the timing, duration, and intensity of CR as well as its long-term cardiovascular benefits. Further research is needed to develop personalized approaches for different patient groups. This article highlights the current knowledge, identifies critical gaps, and underlines the need for tailored rehabilitation strategies to improve post-TAVI recovery and patient outcomes.

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