Physical Activity Status and Related Factors of Lung Transplant Patients Within One Year After Surgery: A...

After undergoing lung transplantation, patients' mobility is closely associated with postoperative survival outcomes. This study aimed to assess the physical activity levels of lung transplant recipients at 1-year postsurgery and identify its influencing factors.

A prospective follow-up evaluation was used to investigate the relationship between preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative clinical factors and functional recovery outcomes. The Duke activity status index (DASI) score was evaluated at 1 year after surgery. SPSS software was used for statistical analysis.

Thirty lung transplant recipients were enrolled, with 27 males and 3 females. The age ranged from 23 to 72 years. The mean DASI score at 1 year postoperatively was 23.84 ± 13.66 points. Univariate analysis showed that age greater than 60 years was a relevant factor influencing DASI at 1 year postoperatively in lung transplant recipients (t = 3.562, p = 0.002). Multivariate analysis indicated that factors such as being over 60 years old (β = -0.476, p = 0.010), having a lower preoperative body mass index (BMI) (β = 0.592, p = 0.003), and a shorter hospital stay in the ICU (β = 0.480, p = 0.004) might be associated with a decline in postoperative activity ability of lung transplant patients.

This suggests that patients over 60 years of age should be prioritized for postoperative mobility management. Among the various aspects of management for lung transplant recipients, avoiding a low preoperative BMI may be more beneficial for improving their long-term postoperative mobility. These findings apply primarily to male lung-transplant patients, and the generalizability of the results needs to be validated in larger cohorts.