An interventional study of Exercise in Cardiac Surgery, Prehabilitation and Postoperative Complications, sponsored by Montreal Heart Institute. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in Canada. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-08-27.
Sponsored by Montreal Heart Institute · Not applicable, Interventional, and Prevention
The goal of this study is to learn if an exercise-based prehabilitation program can help people who are waiting for heart surgery and are at higher risk of complications recover better.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
Can a home-based prehabilitation program prescribed by a physiotherapist be done safely and realistically before heart surgery?
Participants will:
Take part in a personalized exercise program for a 8 to 16 weeks before surgery
Do breathing muscle training at home
Meet with a physiotherapist once a week, either in person or by video call
Be assessed before and after the program
Researchers will compare the postoperative results with those of patients who received usual care only.
1,233 studies on the registry are indexed under Postoperative Complications; 292 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 45 is below the median of 119 across 689 interventional studies indexed under Postoperative Complications.
Browse Postoperative Complications studies →Montreal Heart Institute is the lead sponsor of 101 studies on the registry; 25 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Exclusion Criteria:
Supervised by a physiotherapist, the program includes an initial functional assessment, individualized training (breathing exercises, aerobic and strengthening exercises), and weekly follow-up via videoconference or phone.
Other: Exercise
What distinguishes this intervention from others is its hybrid delivery model, combining virtual more than in-person sessions to increase accessibility and adherence. Additionally, it incorporates specific inspiratory muscle training, which is often overlooked in standard prehabilitation programs, and emphasizes a personalized progression based on each participant's functional capacity and feedback. This tailored approach aims to optimize physical readiness before surgery while minimizing patient burden and travel requirements.
Also known as: Inspiratory muscle training
Recruitment Rate (%)
Proportion of eligible candidates who enroll in the study. Recruitment rate will be calculated as the number of participants enrolled divided by the number of eligible candidates, multiplied by 100.
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at maximum 16 weeks
Adherence Rate (%)
Proportion of participants who complete at least 70% of prescribed exercise sessions. Calculated as the number of participants meeting this threshold divided by the total number enrolled, multiplied by 100.
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at maximum 16 weeks
Program Safety - number of participants experiencing exercise-related adverse events
Count of participants experiencing one or more adverse events during the program, including angina, arrhythmias, myocardial infarction, acute heart failure, or sudden cardiac death of cardiac origin.
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at maximum 16 weeks
Participant Satisfaction - likelihood to recommend
Among participants who complete the program, the self-reported likelihood of recommending the program to others, measured on a numeric rating scale from 0 ("not at all likely") to 10 ("extremely likely").
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at maximum 16 weeks
Participant Satisfaction - likelihood to repeat
Among participants who complete the program, the self-reported likelihood of participating in the program again, measured on a numeric rating scale from 0 ("not at all likely") to 10 ("extremely likely").
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at maximum 16 weeks
Maximal Inspiratory Pressure (cmH2O)
Difference between post-program and baseline values of maximal inspiratory pressure, measured in centimeters of water (cmH₂O) using a digital manometer.
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at maximum 16 weeks
Diaphragm Thickening Fraction (%)
Difference between post-program and baseline diaphragm thickening fraction, calculated as (thickness at end-inspiration - thickness at end-expiration) / thickness at end-expiration × 100 using ultrasound.
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at maximum 16 weeks
Grip Strength (kg)
Difference between post-program and baseline grip strength, measured in kilograms using a handheld dynamometer
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at maximum 16 weeks
5-repetition-sit-to-stand Test - Lower Limb Strength (seconds)
Difference between post-program and baseline time to complete five repetitions of the sit-to-stand test, measured in seconds.
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at maximum 16 weeks
5-meter Gait Speed (seconds)
Difference between post-program and baseline time to walk 5 meters, measured in seconds.
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at maximum 16 weeks
Functional Capacity - six-minute walk distance (meters)
Difference between post-program and baseline walking distance achieved in the Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), measured in meters
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at maximum 16 weeks
Number of participants with postoperative pulmonary complications
Count of participants with at least one postoperative pulmonary complication during hospital stay, as defined by clinical diagnosis documented in the medical record.
Time frame: From the day of surgery through hospital discharge (average of 10 days)
Duration of postoperative mechanical ventilation (hours)
Time in hours from ICU admission to extubation
Time frame: From ICU admission after surgery until extubation (within hospital stay, average 24-72 hours)
Recovery of Mobility - Postoperative day of first mobilization (day out of bed)
Postoperative day number on which the participant first sits out of bed.
Time frame: Un average of 1 - 3 days
Recovery of Mobility - Postoperative day of first ambulation
Postoperative day number on which the participant first walks
Time frame: An average of 3 - 6 days
Length of Postoperative Hospital Stay (days)
Number of days from the date of surgery to hospital discharge
Time frame: From the day of surgery through hospital discharge (average of 10 days)
Postoperative pulmonary complication - Exploratory Outcome Measures - Comparison of Postoperative Recovery Indicators Between Study Participants and Historical Controls
Proportion (%) of participants, based on historical patient data from a sample of the same population as the study participants and from the year preceding the start of the project, who experienced at least one postoperative pulmonary complication. This will be recorded as described for the same variable in the secondary outcomes.
Time frame: The month following the completion of primary and secondary data collection
Postoperative Recovery - Exploratory Outcome Measures - Comparison of Postoperative Recovery - Duration of Mechanical Ventilation - Between Study Participants and Historical Controls
Duration of postoperative mechanical ventilation (hours) collected from historical patient records of the same population.
Time frame: The month following the completion of primary and secondary data collection
Postoperative Recovery - Exploratory Outcome Measures - Comparison of Postoperative Recovery - Recovery of mobility (first mobilization out of the bed) - Between Study Participants and Historical Controls
Postoperative day of first mobilization out of bed collected from historical patient records of the same population.
Time frame: The month following the completion of primary and secondary data collection
Postoperative Recovery - Exploratory Outcome Measures - Comparison of Postoperative Recovery - Recovery of mobility (first ambulation) - Between Study Participants and Historical Controls
Postoperative day of first ambulation collected from historical patient records of the same population.
Time frame: The month following the completion of primary and secondary data collection
Postoperative Recovery - Exploratory Outcome Measures - Comparison of Postoperative Recovery - Length of Hospital Stay - Between Study Participants and Historical Controls
Number of days from the date of surgery to hospital discharge collected from historical patient records of the same population.
Time frame: The month following the completion of primary and secondary data collection
Plan to share: No
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Montreal Heart Institute