Cardiac surgery is often associated with significant trauma, which can lead to a suboptimal recovery experience for patients. With advancements in cardiovascular surgical techniques, the rates of surgical mortality and complications have significantly decreased, leading to increased attention on patients' subjective recovery experiences after the surgery. Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) refer to the feedback provided directly by patients regarding their health status, functional abilities, and treatment experiences. Accurate assessment and timely intervention of PROs have become a growing area of interest in the academic community, with improvements in certain PROs showing significant correlations with prognostic benefits. However, there remains controversy regarding which dimensions of PROs should be prioritized in the postoperative recovery of cardiac surgery patients and how to select appropriate evaluation scales for these dimensions. We referenced the research progress both domestically and internationally, combined with clinical practices from around the world, and widely solicited expert opinions to reach a consensus on the evaluation dimensions of postoperative PROs for cardiac surgery patients. This includes the overall recovery status of patients (surgical recovery, quality of life) and its nine dimensions (pain, physiology, sleep, thirst, frailty, activity, cognition, mental health, and social support). This consensus comprehensively considers the application of PROs scales, and introduces 1-3 scales with the widest application and most solid evidence for each dimension, aiming to further standardize the evaluation dimensions of PROs after cardiac surgery in China and the selection of scales for each dimension.
Cardiac surgery is associated with high risks, significant trauma, and long recovery periods. With advances in cardiac surgery techniques, the mortality rate and incidence of complications have been steadily decreasing. Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) have gradually become an important area of research in postoperative recovery of cardiac surgery. The use of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in this field helps to reflect patients' physiological, psychological, and social functioning during recovery, and provides scientific evidence for clinical interventions, which may further improve prognosis and enhance patient recovery experience. This paper reviews the dimensions of PROMs in the field of cardiac surgery recovery, the current status of existing PROMs scales, and the progress of their application, while also identifying the limitations of the existing tools. Finally, it explores future research directions for PROMs in cardiac surgery patients.
ObjectiveTo investigate effect of coronal plane alignment of the knee (CPAK) phenotype alteration on patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and functional outcomes in patients undergoing robot-assisted total knee arthroplasty (RA-TKA). MethodsThe clinical data of 108 patients who underwent unilateral RA-TKA between December 2024 and June 2025 and met the inclusion criteria were retrospectively analyzed. The cohort included 34 males and 74 females, with an average age of 68.8 years (range, 54-83 years). General data including age, gender, body mass index (BMI), and operative side were collected. PROMs included the Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), Knee Society Score (KSS), and Forgotten Joint Score-12 (FJS-12). Functional outcomes included range of motion (ROM) and angle of knee extension lag. Based on full-length lower extremity X-ray films, the mechanical lateral distal femoral angle (mLDFA) and mechanical medial proximal tibial angle (mMPTA) were measured, and the arithmetic hip-knee-ankle angle (aHKA) and joint line obliquity (JLO) were calculated. The CPAK phenotype was determined according to the classification proposed by MacDessi et al. Patients were grouped into a CPAK consistent group and a CPAK changed group based on pre- and post-operative CPAK phenotypes, and the PROMs, functional outcomes, and radiographic parameters were compared. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine the independent association between CPAK phenotype change and the improvement in WOMAC scores. Results Among the 108 patients, the CPAK phenotype remained unchanged in 70 cases (64.8%, CPAK consistent group) and changed in 38 cases (35.2%, CPAK changed group). There was no significant difference between the two groups in age, gender, BMI, operative side, or preoperative WOMAC score, KSS score, ROM, and aHKA (P>0.05), whereas preoperative JLO showed a significant difference between groups (P<0.05). Univariate analysis demonstrated significant differences between groups at 3 months postoperatively in WOMAC, KSS, and FJS-12 scores, as well as in the changes of WOMAC score, KSS score, and ROM (P<0.05); moreover, the improvements in these parameters were superior in the consistent group compared to the changed group. There was no significant difference in postoperative ROM, angle of knee extension lag, mLDFA, mMPTA, JLO, aHKA, and the change of aHKA between groups (P>0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that CPAK phenotype change was a risk factor for improvement in WOMAC scores at short-term stage (P<0.05). ConclusionPreservation of the preoperative CPAK phenotype after RA-TKA is associated with superior improvement in PROMs at short-term stage.