BACKGROUND: Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) following lung transplantation (LTx) has been shown to be effective with regard to exercise capacity and health-related quality of life (HRQL). However, outcome data is limited with respect to LTx as a population. Differences concerning the effects of PR in patients with single LTx (SLTx) or double LTx (DLTx) have not been studied yet. OBJECTIVES: The aim was to compare possible differences concerning PR outcomes between SLTx and DLTx. METHODS: In a retrospective analysis (period: 1997-2016), data from 722 patients with either chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD; SLTx: n = 129, FEV1 51 +/- 17% pred.; DLTx: n = 204, FEV1 74 +/- 20% pred.) or interstitial lung disease (ILD; SLTx: n = 135, FVC 58 +/- 18% pred.; DLTx: n = 254, FVC 63 +/- 18% pred.) after LTx were included. All patients underwent a specialized inpatient PR program. The data of the 6-minute walk distance (6MWD) and HRQL (physical [PCS] and mental [MCS] component summary of the SF- 36 questionnaire) were analyzed. RESULTS: Independently from the procedure and pretransplant diagnosis, patients significantly (p < 0.05) improved the 6MWD without any differences between SLTx and DLTx (COPD: SLTx: +109 +/- 68 m, DLTx: +117 +/- 82 m; ILD: SLTx: +115 +/- 80 m, DLTx: +132 +/- 77 m). The PCS (COPD: SLTx: +9 +/- 9 points, DLTx: +7 +/- 9 points; ILD: SLTx: +6 +/- 9 points, DLTx: +9 +/- 9 points) and MCS (COPD: SLTx: +8 +/- 15 points, DLTx: +7 +/- 15 points; ILD: SLTx: +10 +/- 13 points, DLTx: +8 +/- 12 points) also improved significantly without any group differences. CONCLUSIONS: LTx patients with a pretransplant diagnosis of COPD or ILD all benefitted significantly and with clinical relevance with regard to exercise capacity and HRQL from an inpatient PR performed within 1 year postoperatively. PR outcomes were similar regardless of SLTx or DLTx.
- Schneeberger, T.
- Gloeckl, R.
- Welte, T.
- Kenn, K.
Keywords
- Activities of Daily Living
- Aged
- Female
- Forced Expiratory Volume
- Health Status
- Humans
- Lung/*physiopathology
- Lung Diseases, Interstitial/physiopathology/*surgery
- Lung Transplantation/*rehabilitation
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/physiopathology/*surgery
- Quality of Life
- *Respiratory Therapy
- Retrospective Studies
- Treatment Outcome
- Walk Test
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Exercise training
- Interstitial lung disease
- Lung transplantation
- Pulmonary rehabilitation