Effectiveness of continuous unsupervised exercise therapy after above-knee femoropopliteal bypass

Exercise therapy has acceptable outcomes for patients with intermittent claudication, although few reports exist regarding the results of continuous exercise therapy after surgical reconstruction for intermittent claudication. This study aimed to analyze the long-term outcomes of unsupervised exercise therapy for patients after above-knee femoropopliteal bypass.

We retrospectively analyzed 69 patients (69 limbs, 69 grafts) who underwent above-knee femoropopliteal bypass from April 2009 to March 2018 in our hospital. At six months after above-knee femoropopliteal bypass, we evaluated the maintenance of unsupervised exercise therapy. Patients who continued unsupervised exercise therapy or discontinued unsupervised exercise therapy were assessed via 1:1 propensity matching. Long-term outcomes such as patency, survival, and major adverse cardiovascular events were compared between the groups after matching. We also analyzed the maintaining rate of unsupervised exercise therapy in a study cohort.

Twenty-nine (42%) patients continued unsupervised exercise therapy until six months after above-knee femoropopliteal bypass. The discontinued unsupervised exercise therapy had higher proportions of female sex (p = 0.015) and cerebrovascular disease (p = 0.025) than did the continued unsupervised exercise therapy. The mean follow-up period was 65 ± 36 months. After propensity matching, the rates of the following factors were significantly higher in the continued unsupervised exercise therapy than in the discontinued unsupervised exercise therapy: primary patency (97% vs. 61%, p = 0.0041), secondary patency (100% vs. 69%, p = 0.0021), and freedom from major adverse cardiovascular events (61% vs. 24%, p = 0.0071) at five years. Both groups had a similar survival rate. The maintaining rate of unsupervised exercise therapy in the study cohort was 44% at six months, 41% at one year, 36% at three years, 25% at five years, and 25% at seven years.

The findings of this study suggested superior long-term outcomes, including graft patency and freedom from major adverse cardiovascular events, with unsupervised exercise therapy after open bypass than with the usual therapy. Unsupervised exercise therapy may be recommended for the patients after open bypass.