NCT07327008

The Effectiveness of Telerehabilitation in Liver Transplant Patients

Investigation of the Effectiveness of the Telerehabilitation Program in Patients With Liver Transplantation

• Status: Not Yet Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 58 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Liver transplantation is defined as a surgical procedure in which a liver with tissue damage and inability to perform its functions is replaced, in whole or in part, with a healthy liver obtained from a living or deceased donor. Post-transplantation treatment includes medical treatment, physiotherapy, and rehabilitation. Physiotherapy and rehabilitation, an important component of liver transplantation management, consists of three phases: preoperative, early postoperative, and late postoperative. Telerehabilitation is currently defined as the control or monitoring of rehabilitation remotely using telecommunication-related technologies. Studies on telerehabilitation in liver transplant patients are insufficient in the literature. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of a telerehabilitation-based exercise program applied to liver transplant patients on exercise capacity, respiratory muscle strength, peripheral muscle strength, fatigue level and quality of life.

Detailed description

Participants will be randomly divided into two groups: a telerehabilitation group and home exercise program group. Both groups will be evaluated before and after treatment (week 8). The telerehabilitation group will receive videoconference-based telerehabilitation three days a week for eight weeks. All exercises will be performed under the supervision of a physiotherapist. Each telerehabilitation session will last approximately 30-45 minutes. The exercises will be performed in the following order: breathing exercises, strengthening exercises, balance exercises, and walking exercises. The home exercise program group will receive an exercise brochure after the initial evaluation. Both groups will continue with their standard medical treatments, and a second evaluation will be conducted at the end of eight weeks. Participants' exercise capacity will be assessed using the "6-Minute Walk Test," fatigue level using "The Fatigue Severity Scale", respiratory muscle strength by measuring "Maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP)" and "Maximal expiratory pressure (MEP)", muscle strength using a digital dynamometer, balance using the "Timed Up and Go Test," and quality of life using the "The Liver Disease Symptom Index 2.0"

Conditions

• Liver Transplantation
• Telerehabilitation

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Telerehabilitation	The telerehabilitation program will include breathing, strengthening, balance, and walking exercises, with increasing intensity week by week, and stretching exercises targeting major muscles will be given during the cool-down period.
OTHER	Home exercise	Patients will be given brochures on breathing, strengthening, balance and walking exercises and asked to perform them without a physiotherapist.

Timeline

• Start date: 2026-02-01
• Primary completion: 2026-06-30
• Completion: 2026-07-30
• First posted: 2026-01-08
• Last updated: 2026-01-12

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Turkey (Türkiye)