The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of bioelectric therapy on sternal instability in patients with median sternotomy after heart valve surgery.
Valvular heart disease constitutes a growing healthcare problem with a general prevalence of 2%-5% and a prevalence of 13% after the age of 75 years Heart valve surgery can be a lifesaving procedure for patients with severe symptomatic heart valve disease. Nevertheless, following the surgery, up to 27% of patients may require readmission within 30 days after discharge. Following heart valve surgery, some patients report anxiety and worries related to readmission and reoperations, postoperative complications, and deconditioning which may prevent or delay return to work and limit activities of daily living.Over the past 30 years, bone-growth stimulators have become a critical component in fracture care. They can be classified into four categories: direct-current (DC) devices, inductive coupling, noninvasive capacitive coupling, and low-intensity ultrasound. Microcurrent electrical stimulation ( MES) is the therapeutic use of constant (DC) and pulsed (interrupted) currents, where the stimulus amplitude is in the micro amperage (millionth of an ampere) range. MES is defined as those of less than 1 mA or 1000 μ, (MES \< 1 mA). This form of electrical stimulation tends to be applied at the suspensory or very low sensory level and they are not designed to stimulate muscle contraction. Generators that produce MES were originally called microcurrent electrical neuromuscular stimulators (MENS). However, the stimulation pathway is not the usual neural pathway, and they are not designed to stimulate muscle contraction. Consequently, this type of generator was subsequently referred to as a microcurrent electrical stimulator (MES). The use of MES may be an adjunctive modality in the treatment of fractures or injury sites, especially fractures prone to nonunion. Fracture healing may be accelerated by passing a monophasic current through the fracture site. Getting the current into the bony area without an invasive technique is difficult.forty subjects will be allocated to two groups; one group will receive micro-current therapy and routine cardiac rehabilitation program both for four weeks and the control group will receive the cardiac rehabilitation program only for four weeks.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
40
the patient will receive microcurrent therapy from a supine lying position. the negative electrode on the incision area and the positive electrode proximal. the intensity will be less than 20 microamperes and frequency at 20 HZ.
the patient will receive cardiac rehabilitation program
sternal instability
sternal instability scale will be used for assessment. this scale has four points. zero mean more stability and three mean completly separated
Time frame: up to four weeks
sternal separation
ultrasound unit will be used for assessing the separation between sternum edges
Time frame: up to four weeks
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