Early rehabilitation after orthotopic heart transplantation: a case study

BACKGROUND: Publications on rehabilitation in patients following heart transplantation remain limited. This issue is currently being actively investigated, as there is a lack of clear data on the optimal timing for initiating physical rehabilitation, the use of exercise testing for objective assessment of patient condition, or the types of physical training. CASE DESCRIPTION: This case study describes the positive effects of early rehabilitation in a patient after orthotopic heart transplantation. CONCLUSION: Patients who underwent heart transplantation have a greater potential for restoring cardiovascular function compared with other categories of patients with cardiovascular diseases treated surgically. However, these patients also face factors that may limit the rapid recovery of functional capacity and quality of life. While most studies have demonstrated the effects of various types of physical training during the outpatient phase, this case report highlights the positive outcomes of initiating cardiac rehabilitation in the early postoperative period. These findings may support a revision of current approaches to the timing of rehabilitation in this patient population.