Infra-Abdominal Muscles Activation Brings Benefits to the Pulmonary Function of Patients with Sternal Instability after Cardiac Surgery.

Objective: To compare physical therapy strategies involving abdominal muscle stabilization, with and without upper limb movement, in patients with sternal instability after heart surgery and during in-hospital care.

Methods: This prospective, longitudinal, randomized, and comparative clinical study included 20 patients, which were divided into two groups: ARM, the arm group (n=10), and LEG, the leg group (n=10). The study involved the evaluation of scores of visual analog scales for sternal instability, pain, discomfort, functional impairment, lung function, and maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP) and maximum expiratory pressure (MEP) before and after the interventions.

Randomized and comparative study between two intra-hospital exercise programs for heart transplant patients.

Objective: To compare the effects of two physical therapy exercise in-hospital programs in pulmonary function and functional capacity of patients in the postoperative period of heart transplantation.

Methods: Twenty-two heart transplanted patients were randomized to the control group (CG, n=11) and training group (TG, n=11). The control group conducted the exercise program adopted as routine in the institution and the training group has had a protocol consisting of 10 stages, with incremental exercises: breathing exercises, resistance training, stretching and walking.