Exercise U-Turn for Heart Surgery Patients in Southampton: What You Need to Know

Patients waiting for heart surgery in Southampton are now part of a study testing whether exercise before the operation can improve recovery, marking a shift from previous advice to avoid physical activity.

The CardioFit trial, delivered through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Southampton Biomedical Research Centre and supported by the Heartbeat charity, involves patients using exercise bikes under monitored conditions while waiting for surgery.

Graeme Harrison, a participant in the study, has aortic stenosis, a condition where the heart does not pump enough blood around the body, leading to fatigue and breathlessness. He is awaiting an operation to receive an artificial aortic valve.

Harrison described how everyday activities leave him exhausted, saying, “When I go to bed and I walk upstairs to clean my teeth, I have to have a sit down for five minutes before I have sufficient energy to stand at the sink and clean my teeth.”

The CardioFit trial is part of a broader trend where patients with cancer are already routinely offered prehabilitation through a UK-first NHS service at University Hospital Southampton, and the success of that programme has led the hospital to investigate similar approaches for heart conditions.