Valvular & structural heart disease

Effects of a preoperative psychological expectation-focused intervention in patients undergoing valvular surgery - the randomized controlled ValvEx (valve patients’ expectations) study

Am Heart JPublished randomized controlled ValvEx (valve patients’ expectations) study

Authors' conclusion

The ValvEx study is the first multicentre study investigating the expectation-optimizing preoperative intervention in heart valve patients. The implementation of the EXPECT intervention seemed to optimize outcomes after heart valve surgery for certain patients, such as patients with a high need for information. It is possible that there were no direct effects of the EXPECT intervention because the intervention dose was too low. These preliminary findings need to be corroborated by larger multicenter trials. Trial registration The study was preregistered at ClinicalTrials (identifier: NCT04502121, https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04502121).

Study context

Population
Patients undergoing heart valve surgeryrandomized after a baseline assessment
Participants
89 patients
Comparison
Standard medical care (SOC) vs SOC plus psychological expectation-focused intervention (EXPECT)
Primary endpoint
Illness-related disability (Pain Disability Index, PDI)
Follow-up
Evening before surgery, 4 to 6 days and 3 months after surgery
Methodological detailsmulticentre
  • Multicentre

Primary result

As reported in the abstract

No general effects observed for the EXPECT intervention over time on the primary outcome and the secondary outcomes
P ≥ .167

Secondary outcomes

OutcomedP value
Anxiety, patients with a higher need for information (moderation by need for information) · evening before surgeryLess anxious with EXPECT0.314P = 0.020
Restriction in quality of life, patients with a higher need for information (moderation by need for information) · 4 to 6 days after surgeryLess restricted with EXPECT0.464P = 0.005

Original publication

Effects of a preoperative psychological expectation-focused intervention in patients undergoing valvular surgery - the randomized controlled ValvEx (valve patients’ expectations) study. Am Heart J. Published 17 January 2025. doi:10.1016/j.ahj.2025.01.006

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