Preoperative Physical Fitness and Short-Term Postoperative Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Elective Cardiac Surgery: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Zoe van der Hoofd, Hanneke C. van Dijk-Huisman, Bart C. Bongers, Bart Scheenstra, Jos Maessen, Antoine F. Lenssen, Department of Physical Therapy, Maastricht University Medical Center, The Netherlands, Department of Epidemiology, Care and Public Health Research Institute , Faculty of Health Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, The Netherlands, Department of Nutrition and Movement Sciences, Institute of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism , Faculty of Health Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, The Netherlands, Department of Surgery, Institute of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism , Faculty of Health Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, The Netherlands, Department of Cardiac Rehabilitation, The Netherlands, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Center, The Netherlands, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht , Maastricht University, The Netherlands

Seminars in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia

Published online on February 21, 2026

Abstract

Seminars in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia, Ahead of Print.
Preoperative cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength, and frailty influence outcomes after cardiac surgery, but these modifiable physical factors are often not routinely incorporated into standardized risk assessments. This study examined the ...