[Early rehabilitation program in uncomplicated Stanford type B acute aortic dissection]

Between December 2009 and August 2011, 120 patients with uncomplicated Stanford type B acute aortic dissection( UBAD) received medical treatment. In October 2010, we initiated an early rehabilitation program for UBAD patients in an acute phase. This early rehabilitation program, which was aimed at enabling the patient to walk around the ward within 2 days, was conducted for 87 consecutive patients;the remaining 33 were subjected to the conventional rehabilitation program. Mortality was not significantly different between the 2 groups. The incidence of atelectasis, need for mechanical ventilation, and intensive care unit syndrome during medical treatment occurred in 48% (16/33), 15% ( 5/33), and 30% ( 10/33), respectively, of the conventional group and in 3.4% ( 3/87), 1.1% (1/87), and 3.4% ( 3/87), respectively, of the early rehabilitation group. The outer diameter of the aorta was dilated after 4 weeks' rehabilitation in smaller percentage of patients in the early rehabilitation group than the conventional one. Thus, the early rehabilitation program was more effective for patients with UBAD than the conventional one.