Physical functional outcomes after cardiothoracic transplantation.

ABSTRACT

The study of patient healthcare outcomes after cardiothoracic transplantation has increased substantially over the last 2 decades. Physical function after heart, lung, and heart-lung transplantation has been studied using both subjective and objective measures. The majority of reports in the literature on physical function after cardiothoracic transplantation are descriptive and observational. The purposes of the article are to review and critique the existing literature on cardiothoracic recipients' subjective and objective physical function, including respiratory function for heart-lung and lung transplant recipients. In addition, the literature on sexual function in cardiothoracic recipients is examined, the gaps in the literature are identified, and recommendations are given for future research.