Heart rate variability biofeedback training in rehabilitation after coronary artery bypass grafting

Introduction. This work is of great relevance because of the importance of early rehabilitation stages in the recovery of patients after cardiac reconstructive surgery. Therefore, there is a need for continuous improvement of rehabilitation programs, including their psychological aspects. Aims. The paper aims to compare heart rate variability measurements before and after heart rate variability biofeedback training in patients after coronary artery bypass grafting. Materials and methods. The study involved 73 patients of the rehabilitation cardiology department (Republican Cardiological Center) who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting, of which 38 were males (51-78 years old), 35 were females (51-78 years old). The mean age of the patients was 64 ± 6.2 years. Biofeedback technologies were used to acquire psychophysiological relaxation skills in the experimental group (37 subjects). Patients were asked to undergo 7-10 cardiac control sessions (depending on the duration of in-hospital stay), 15 minutes for 10-14 days. At the beginning and at the end of rehabilitation, heart rate variability was monitored. Results. The use of heart rate variability biofeedback training at the second stage of rehabilitation resulted in the improvement of heart rate variability in patients after myocardial revascularization compared with the control group. Conclusion. Empirical data confirmed the feasibility of using heart rate variability biofeedback training at the second stage of rehabilitation after coronary artery bypass grafting.