Home-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation (HBCR) In Post-TAVR Patients: A Prospective, Single-Center, Cohort, Pilot Study

INTRODUCTION: Cardiac rehabilitation after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) safely improves exercise tolerance, functional independence, and quality of life. However, barriers such as transportation, cost, and limited access to rehabilitation programs prohibits participation. In 2010, the Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) started a 12-week home-based cardiac rehabilitation (HBCR) program at 13 sites around the country to increase participation by reducing such barriers. We present the findings of HBCR in post-TAVR patients from the VAMC in Gainesville, FL, USA. METHODS: Fifty-nine patients who underwent TAVR between 2015 and 2018 at the Gainesville VA were offered HBCR. Forty-one patients enrolled, 28 completed the program, and 14 completed the surveys. We used various performance measures including Life's Simple 7 survey, 6-min Walk (6-MW), Duke Activity Survey Index (DASI), and Short Form-36 (SF-36) health survey to assess the pre and post-HBCR changes in emotional, functional, and physical well-being of the patients. RESULTS: Paired comparison of pre and post-HBCR using Wilcoxon signed-rank test revealed a statistically significant difference in the pre and post-HBCR scores for DASI, DASI-Mets, and SF-36 physical functioning (p values 0.05, 0.034, and 0.016, respectively), suggesting an improvement in the patients' physical functioning after participating in the HBCR program. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, our pilot study offers novel insight into the role of HBCR in improving physical health and well-being in post-TAVR patients while eliminating the barriers of transportation and access to cardiac rehabilitation programs.