Assessment of Foot Health and Toe Strength in Older Adults Undergoing Heart Valve Surgery: A Pilot Study

Objectives: We aimed to explore foot condition and toe strength in older adults undergoing heart valve surgery. Materials and Methods: This exploratory pilot study included nine older adults undergoing heart valve surgery. Subjective data on foot-related symptoms, self-care status, nail care, footwear, exercise habits, and fall history were collected. Preoperative foot and nail conditions were assessed using observation and photography. Toe strength was measured preoperatively in all participants and postoperatively in a subset of participants when feasible. Descriptive analyses were primarily conducted, with exploratory group comparisons. Results: Participants frequently reported foot-related symptoms and difficulties with foot self-care prior to hospitalization. Lower toe strength appeared to be related to greater difficulties in foot self-care, whereas higher toe strength was more commonly observed in those reporting regular exercise habits. Postoperative toe strength was reassessed in six participants. In a participant with prolonged intensive care unit (ICU) stay, delayed recovery of toe strength was observed. Conclusions: These preliminary findings suggest that foot condition and toe strength may be relevant to physical function and fall prevention-related factors in older a dults undergoing cardiac surgery. Reduced toe strength may be related to self-care difficulties, and prolonged ICU stay may influence the recovery of toe strength. However, due to the small sample size, these findings should be interpreted as exploratory and hypothesis-generating.