Effects of Lower Limbs and Trunk Passive Exercise on Intestinal Movement after Cardiovascular Surgery

Background: Postoperative cardiovascular patients tend to have reduced intestinal motility due to various medical treatments such as sedative agents and catecholamine administration, mechanical ventilator, operative stress, resulting in a high risk for postoperative intestinal obstruction. We previously reported that passive exercise of lower limbs and trunk (PELT) facilitate intestinal motility in healthy male volunteers. However, there is lack of information available whether PELT facilitate intestinal motility of postoperative cardiovascular patients.