Effectiveness of Early Mobility Interventions for the Management of Cardiac Surgery Patients: A Meta-analysis

Early mobility interventions are increasingly recognized as a critical component of postoperative care for cardiac surgery patients. These interventions aim to improve functional recovery, reduce complications, and optimize resource utilization. However, the effectiveness of early mobility programs on outcomes such as the 6-minute walk distance (6-MWD), hospital and intensive care units (ICU) length of stay, and in-hospital mortality remains unclear.

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

This review was conducted following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses 2020 guidelines to evaluate the effectiveness of early mobility interventions in cardiac surgery patients. Relevant studies were identified from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and EMBASE databases. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed to pool standardized mean differences (SMD) or odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for 6-MWD, length of hospital and ICU stay, and in-hospital mortality. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I² statistic.

Twenty studies including 2,523 participants were analyzed. Early mobility interventions significantly improved 6-MWD (SMD: 1.22; 95% CI: 0.62 to 1.82; P < .001) and reduced hospital (SMD: -0.55; 95% CI: -0.85 to -0.24; P < .001) and ICU (SMD: -0.48; 95% CI: -0.93 to -0.03; P = .036) length of stay. Substantial heterogeneity was observed across studies (I² > 85%). No significant reduction in in-hospital mortality was found (odds ratios: 0.56; 95% CI: 0.13 to 2.42; P = .437).

Early mobility interventions improve functional recovery and reduce hospital and ICU stays in cardiac surgery patients. These findings support the integration of structured mobility programs into postoperative care to optimize outcomes, though further research is needed to address heterogeneity and long-term impacts.