Feasibility of a Multidomain Resiliency Assessment in Patients with Advanced Heart Failure Requiring Surgery: A Pilot Study

Objective The resiliency of patients who have advanced heart failure (HF) and undergo a physical stressor such as heart transplantation or left ventricular assist device implantation has yet to be studied in the physical, cognitive, and psychosocial domains. The primary aim of this pilot study was to assess the feasibility of a multidomain resiliency assessment in patients who have advanced HF and require surgery. Methods A battery of assessments in each of the domains was completed at baseline before surgical intervention, after intensive care discharge, and 3 and 6 months after surgery. Feasibility was assessed through completion rates, time required to complete the assessments, and qualitative feedback from assessors. Results Although various completion rates were noted at different time points, high completion rates were seen for grip strength, the modified Fried frailty phenotype, and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Additionally, when controlled for patients who were medically restricted from physical function, the Short Physical Performance Battery, gait speed, and the 30-second chair stand test also had high completion rates. A trend toward return to baseline status or an improvement in baseline status was observed in all physical and cognitive assessments and most psychosocial assessments at 3 and 6 months. Minimal change was noted in the Brief Resilience Scale questionnaire. Conclusion This pilot study demonstrates that a multidomain assessment of resiliency is feasible in patients with advanced HF. Future studies are needed to help determine specific assessments or patient factors that would help predict positive postsurgical outcomes in this population. Impact This study has implications for clinical practice on the most feasible assessments in multiple domains for patients who have advanced HF and are being evaluated for heart transplantation or left ventricular assist device.