Effect of AI-Assisted Respiratory Training on Pain, Fatigue and Respiratory Parameters in Patients After Open Heart Surgery

June 22, 2026 updated by: Yaren Yurdakul, Kocaeli University

The Effect of Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Respiratory Training on Pain, Fatigue and Respiratory Parameters in Patients After Open Heart Surgery

This randomized controlled study aims to evaluate the effect of artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted respiratory training on fatigue, pain, and respiratory parameters in patients after open heart surgery.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Open heart surgery and related procedures (such as sternotomy, cardiopulmonary bypass, and chest tubes) can negatively affect pulmonary functions and cause postoperative pain, fatigue, and limited respiratory muscle function. While standard care involves respiratory exercises, there is insufficient data regarding the combination of upper extremity Range of Motion (ROM) exercises with deep breathing. This study will utilize AI-generated educational videos, created using tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Adobe Firefly, to guide patients in performing these exercises safely and correctly. Participants will be randomized into three groups: a Rhythmic Breathing group, a Range of Motion-Deep Breathing (ROM-DB) group, and a Control group. The interventions will be applied for three consecutive days. The study will evaluate outcomes including respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, heart rate, pain levels, fatigue, dyspnea, and chest tube drainage volume.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
111

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
    • İzmit
      • Kocaeli, İzmit, Turkey (Türkiye), 41380
        • Recruiting
        • Kocaeli University
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
          • Yasemin Özhanlı, PHD

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patients undergoing elective open heart surgery.
  • Conscious.
  • Speaks and understands Turkish.
  • Has a chest tube inserted (on the right and/or left side).
  • No visual, auditory, or mental problems.
  • Willing to participate in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Undergoing concurrent other chest surgery or having a history of re-surgery.
  • Development of early postoperative complications (e.g., atelectasis) within 0-3 days.
  • Any loss of an extremity.
  • Long-term immobilization and intubation.
  • Development of severe post-surgery infections (such as mediastinitis or sepsis) or respiratory complications (such as pneumonia or atelectasis).

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Rhythmic Breathing Group
Patients will watch an AI-generated video via tablet and simultaneously perform a 3x3x3 rhythmic breathing exercise, which consists of inhaling for 3 seconds, holding the breath for 3 seconds, and exhaling for 3 seconds. The exercise will be repeated 5 times per session, once a day, for 3 days.
Other: Rhythmic Breathing Group
Patients in this group will watch an artificial intelligence-generated educational video on a tablet. Following the visual and auditory instructions in the video, they will perform a rhythmic breathing exercise consisting of inhaling for 3 seconds, holding the breath for 3 seconds, and exhaling for 3 seconds. The exercise will be performed for 5 repetitions, once a day, for 3 consecutive days under the supervision of the researcher.
Experimental: Range of Motion-Deep Breathing (ROM-DN) Group
Patients will watch an AI-generated video via tablet and simultaneously perform upper extremity Range of Motion (ROM) exercises combined with deep breathing. The exercise consists of 5 sets of controlled inspiration and expiration synchronized with arm abduction and adduction. This will be applied once a day for 3 days.
Other: Range of Motion-Deep Breathing (ROM-DN) Group
Patients in this group will watch an artificial intelligence-generated educational video on a tablet. They will perform upper extremity range of motion (abduction and adduction) exercises synchronized with deep inspiration and expiration. This exercise will be performed for 5 repetitions, once a day, for 3 consecutive days under the supervision of the researcher.
No Intervention: Control Group
Patients in this group will not receive the study-specific video exercises. They will be monitored under the clinic's standard routine care protocol, which includes standard breathing exercises and the use of an incentive spirometer (triflo).

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Respiratory Rate
Time Frame: Evaluated at baseline (before intervention), and Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3 (measured both before and 5 minutes after the exercise session).
Measured continuously as breaths per minute while the patient is at rest.
Evaluated at baseline (before intervention), and Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3 (measured both before and 5 minutes after the exercise session).
Change in Oxygen Saturation (SpO2)
Time Frame: Evaluated at baseline, and Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3 (measured both before and 5 minutes after the exercise session).
Measured as a percentage (%) using a noninvasive pulse oximeter
Evaluated at baseline, and Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3 (measured both before and 5 minutes after the exercise session).
Change in Heart Rate
Time Frame: Evaluated at baseline, and Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3 (measured both before and 5 minutes after the exercise session).
Measured as beats per minute at rest using a noninvasive patient monitor.
Evaluated at baseline, and Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3 (measured both before and 5 minutes after the exercise session).
Pain Level
Time Frame: Evaluated at baseline, and Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3 (measured both before and 5 minutes after the exercise session).
Evaluated using the self-reported Numeric Rating Scale (NRS). The scale ranges from 0 to 10, where "0" indicates no pain and "10" indicates unbearable pain. Higher scores mean a worse outcome.
Evaluated at baseline, and Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3 (measured both before and 5 minutes after the exercise session).
Fatigue Level
Time Frame: Evaluated at baseline, and Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3 (measured both before and 5 minutes after the exercise session).
Evaluated using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). The scale ranges from 0 to 10, where "0" indicates no fatigue and "10" indicates unbearable fatigue. Higher scores represent increased fatigue.
Evaluated at baseline, and Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3 (measured both before and 5 minutes after the exercise session).

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Dyspnea Level
Time Frame: Evaluated at baseline, and Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3 (measured both before and 5 minutes after the exercise session).
Evaluated using the Modified Borg Scale (CR-10), a category-ratio scale ranging from 0 (nothing at all) to 10. Higher scores indicate higher perceived exertion/dyspnea.
Evaluated at baseline, and Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3 (measured both before and 5 minutes after the exercise session).
Chest Tube Drainage Level
Time Frame: Evaluated at baseline, and Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3 (measured both before and 5 minutes after the exercise session).
The fluid level change in the chest tube drainage system, measured in centimeters (cm).
Evaluated at baseline, and Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3 (measured both before and 5 minutes after the exercise session).
Presence of Chest Tube Tidaling
Time Frame: Evaluated at baseline, and Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3 (measured both before and 5 minutes after the exercise session)
Observational evaluation of fluid movement (tidaling) in the drainage system, recorded categorically as "movement present" or "no movement".
Evaluated at baseline, and Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3 (measured both before and 5 minutes after the exercise session)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Kocaeli University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Yaren Yurdakul, BSC, Kocaeli University
  • Study Chair: Yasemin Özhanlı, PHD, Kocaeli University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
February 10, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
August 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
October 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
June 13, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 22, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
June 24, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
June 24, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 22, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 2026/02/33

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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