Effect of Pre-operative Program in Open Heart Surgery

This randomized controlled trial compared the effects of multimedia and traditional preoperative physical therapy programs in 70 patients undergoing elective open-heart surgery at Khon Kaen University, Thailand. Patients were divided equally into control and experimental groups. The control group received traditional therapy from a physical therapist, while the experimental group used a multimedia self-learning program. Both groups also received a leaflet with preoperative guidelines. After completing the programs, patients were assessed on chest expansion and surgery knowledge. Both groups showed significant improvement in upper and lower chest expansion after the programs. However, there were no significant differences between the groups in chest expansion or knowledge scores. The study concluded that a preoperative multimedia self-learning physical therapy program is as clinically effective as traditional therapy for patients preparing for open-heart surgery.