Recovery from aortic valve surgery: the trajectory of muscle mass, strength, and quality, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL)
Authors: Thomas A , Griffiths M , Kalakoutas A , Yates M , Sanders J 
Published: July 2021

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: Public Institution(s). Main funding source(s): Barts Charity

OnBehalf

Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and Barts Health NHS Trust

Background/Introduction:

The impact of intensive care unit-acquired weakness (ICUAW) is considerable and is associated with reduced physical function and impaired health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Patients’ undergoing elective cardiac surgery are known to lose significant muscle mass and strength in the first seven days after surgery, but little is known beyond that time. 

Purpose

We sought to investigate the effect of cardiac surgery on ICUAW (including muscle mass, strength, muscle quality) and HRQoL (including anxiety and depression and reintegration into society) until out-patient follow-up.

Methods

Eligible patients included adults undergoing a surgical elective aortic valve replacement without any pre-existing causes of severe muscle weakness or wasting. Muscle mass was measured using ultrasound of the rectus femoris cross-sectional area (RFcsa). Muscle quality was calculated using histogram analysis, specifically pixel intensity (PI), whereby a lower value is indicative of healthier muscle tissue. Muscle strength was measured using hand-held dynamometry specifically grip strength. HRQoL (EQ5D), anxiety and depression (hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS)) and reintegration to normal living (RNLI index) were also collected. Measurements were assessed preoperatively, at day 7 and at out-patient follow-up.

Results

Thirty-one patients were recruited, with 22 (70.9%) patients attending follow-up. Patients lost 6.5% RFcsa (p= &lt;0.0001) in the first seven days post-surgery and 10.1% (p = 0.0014) between preoperative assessment and follow-up. Hand-held grip strength decreased significantly (10.6%, p= &lt;0.0001) in the first seven days post-surgery, however, differing to RFcsa, recovered considerably between day 7 and follow-up (7.7%, p = 0.018). Decreased muscle quality was observed solely in the first seven days after surgery (8.3%, p = 0.0094). The EQ5D visual analogue scale and crosswalk index increased significantly from preoperative assessment to follow-up (10%, p = 0.0250; 17.6%, p = 0.022 respectively) and day 7 to follow-up (11.7%, p = 0.0311; 27.9%, p = 0.011 respectively). While depression scores significantly decreased between the same time points as the EQ5D, changes in anxiety and RNLI scores, were non-significant.

Conclusion

Patients undergoing surgical aortic valve replacements lose considerable muscle mass in hospital, failing to recover even at out-patient follow-up. Furthermore, muscle quality decreases in the first seven days after surgery in line with the acute muscle loss. However, the impact on strength is less extensive as patients appear to recover the loss by follow-up. Patients’ health scores, function index and depression scores also improve, suggesting that muscle mass is the only outcome to not recover at follow-up. Therefore, patients appear to recover well from AVR surgery even surpassing some of their preoperative results, with the exception of the RFcsa.