Sermsinsaithong Natsinee, Yuenyongchaiwat Kornanong, Thanawattano Chusak, Buekban Chatchai, Kulchanarat Chitima, Buranapuntalug Sasipa, Wattanananont Khanistha, Satdhabudha Opas
Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Thammasat University, 99 Moo 18, Paholyothin Road, Klong Luang, Pathum Thani, 12120, Thailand, 66 824521680.
Thammasat University Research Unit, Physical Therapy in Respiratory and Cardiovascular Systems, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani, Thailand.
JMIR Rehabil Assist Technol. 2025 Mar 28;12:e68504. doi: 10.2196/68504.
Patients undergoing heart surgery demonstrate impaired cardiorespiratory performance. Phase II cardiac rehabilitation (CR) in people undergoing open heart surgery (OHS) aims to reduce the adverse physical effects of cardiovascular diseases. Virtual reality (VR) exercise is now used in CR.
This study aimed to explore the effects of VR exercise on functional capacity, pulmonary function, and respiratory muscle strength in patients who underwent OHS and were in phase II CR.
Forty-nine patients who underwent elective OHS and were in phase II CR were randomized into a VR group (N=24) and a control group (N=25). The VR group completed 8 weeks of a home-based VR exercise program, including chest trunk mobilization and aerobic circuit training for 30 minutes, whereas the control group received an exercise brochure and information regarding the benefits of exercise. Intention-to-treat analysis was conducted, and 2-way mixed ANOVA was performed to compare between- and within-group differences in functional capacity and respiratory performance.
After completing the 8-week program, the VR group showed significant improvement in functional capacity compared to the control group (66.29, SD 25.84 m; P=.01). Inspiratory muscle strength increased in both the VR and control groups compared to baseline (9.46, SD 2.85 and 9.64, SD 2.78 cm H2O, respectively). In addition, after the 8-week intervention, significant improvements were found in expiratory muscle strength (15.79, SD 4.65 cm H2O) and forced expiratory volume in 1 second as a percentage of predicted values (2.96%, SD 1.52%) in the VR group compared to the baseline session.
The home-based VR exercise program significantly improved functional capacity but not respiratory muscle or pulmonary function.
接受心脏手术的患者表现出心肺功能受损。接受心脏直视手术（OHS）的患者进行的II期心脏康复（CR）旨在减少心血管疾病的不良身体影响。虚拟现实（VR）运动目前已用于心脏康复。
本研究旨在探讨VR运动对接受OHS并处于II期CR的患者的功能能力、肺功能和呼吸肌力量的影响。
49例接受择期OHS并处于II期CR的患者被随机分为VR组（N = 24）和对照组（N = 25）。VR组完成了为期8周的家庭VR运动计划，包括胸部躯干活动和30分钟的有氧循环训练，而对照组收到了一份运动手册和有关运动益处的信息。进行意向性分析，并进行双向混合方差分析以比较功能能力和呼吸功能的组间和组内差异。
完成8周计划后，与对照组相比，VR组的功能能力有显著改善（66.29，标准差25.84米；P = 0.01）。与基线相比，VR组和对照组的吸气肌力量均增加（分别为9.46，标准差2.85和9.64，标准差2.78厘米水柱）。此外，在8周干预后，与基线期相比发现VR组的呼气肌力量（15.79，标准差4.65厘米水柱）和第1秒用力呼气量占预测值的百分比（2.96%，标准差1.52%）有显著改善。
家庭VR运动计划显著改善了功能能力，但未改善呼吸肌或肺功能。
