Heart valve replacement surgery is a commonly used surgical intervention for the treatment of heart valve diseases. Despite being an invasive procedure, surgery alone is insufficient, and patients require a structured rehabilitation process post-surgery to facilitate prompt recovery of functions,alleviate symptoms, and minimize the risk of complications.

Staged rehabilitation training plays a pivotalrole in the postoperative rehabilitation of heart valvepatients [12, 13]. By implementing atargeted rehabilitation plan and comprehensive rehabilitation measures, staged rehabilitation train ingaids patients ingradually restoring heart function, enhancing physical activity capacity, and promoting holistic physical and mental rehabilitation [14]. First, staged rehabilitation training contributes to the restoration of heart function. Heart valve diseases often result in impaired heart function, necessitating adaptation to new valves and changes in heart function after surgery [15]. Rehabilitation training involves progressive increments in aerobic exercise, strength training, and cardiac monitoring, all of which assist in strengthening cardiac muscles, improving cardiac contractility and output, and enhancing overall heart function [16, 17]. Secondly, staged rehabilitation training facilitates improvements in patients’ physical activity capabilities [18]. Patients after surgery often encounter issues such as physical decline, muscle weakness, and fatigue, which hindertheir daily activitiesand work performance [19]. Rehabilitation training aidspatients ingradually improving physical strength, endurance, muscle strength, and overall physical function by gradually intensifying exercise intensity and frequency. As a result,patients can actively participate in social activities, work, and daily life. Additionally, staged rehabilitation training greatly contributes to patients’ psychological rehabilitation. Heart valve replacement surgery can negatively impactpatients’ psychological and emotional well-being, leading to anxiety, depression, and psychological stress [20, 21]. Rehabilitation training assists patients in managing postoperative psychological stress, bolstering psychological resilience, self-confidence, and improving mental health through psychological support, education, and behavioral interventions [22]. Staged rehabilitation training also plays a vital role in comprehensive patient rehabilitation. By providing comprehensive rehabilitation services, including psychological support, social interaction, and vocational rehabilitation, monthd rehabilitation training facilitates patients’ successful reintegration into society, restoration of work capabilities, and improvement of their overall quality of life [23, 24]. Consequently, it is crucial to recognize the significance of implementing staged rehabilitation training following heart valve surgery and strengthen the delivery of rehabilitation services in clinical practice. Future research endeavors should further explore the effects of different rehabilitation strategies and optimize rehabilitation programs to better addressthe diverse rehabilitation requirementsof patients [25].

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of staged rehabilitation training on the levels of inflammatory factors and RDW following heart valve replacement. Through a comparative analysisof 140 patients who underwentheart valve replacement, we observed significant improvementsin postoperative RDW and decreased levels of serum inflammatory factors (TNF-α, IL-6, and CRP) in the experimental group receiving staged rehabilitation training compared to the control group. Furthermore, patients in the experimental group exhibited enhanced quality of life of in the domains of physical health, psychological state, social relationships, and environment, with evident advantages observed in the 6MWD test.

In ourstudy, we noteda substantial decrease in RDW levelson the 14th and 28th day after the operation inthe experimental group,suggesting a positive influence of staged rehabilitation training on the overall rehabilitation process of patients. RDW serves asan indicator reflecting the size and variation of red blood cells, and elevated RDW levelsareoften associated with inflammatory reactions and the progression of cardiovascular diseases. Hence, the observed reduction in RDW in the experimental group implied that staged rehabilitation training may contribute to the mitigation of inflammatory reactions, alleviation of cardiovascular pressure, and improvement inred blood cell distribution characteristics. In addition, we also observed a downward trend in the levels of inflammatory factors in the experimental group compared to the control group. TNF-α, IL-6, and CRP are commonly employed inflammatory markers, and their elevated levels are typically linked to inflammatory reactions and tissue damage. The decrease inpostoperative TNF-α, IL-6, and CRP levels in the experimental group may indicated that staged rehabilitation training may bebeneficial ininhibiting the occurrence and progressionof inflammatory reactions. This effect mightbe achieved by enhancing patients’immune function, promoting blood circulation, and improving oxygenation. This study also revealeda significant improvement inthe quality of life of patients in the experimental group across multiple domains. Heart valve replacement surgery may negatively impact patients’ quality of life, and staged rehabilitation training provided more comprehensive rehabilitation care by facilitatingphysical function recovery, providing psychological support, and fostering social interaction. As a result, the experimental group exhibited notable enhancements in scores related to physical health, psychological state, social relationships and environment, indicating that staged rehabilitation training played a positive role in improving overall quality of life. In evaluating the rehabilitation effect, the study conductedan objective comparison through a 6MWD test. The experimental group demonstrated advantages in terms of average, minimum, and maximum walking distance of the 6-minute test, indicative of improved physical endurance, mobility, and rehabilitation outcomes resulting from staged rehabilitation training. However, despitethe positive effects observed in the abovementioned indicators, it should benoted that there was no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative adverse events between the two groups. This could be attributed to factors such as the small sample size, limitations in the research design, and the influence of other variables. Therefore, future research should aim to increase the sample size and further evaluate the influence of different rehabilitation strategies on the incidence of adverse events.

In summary, staged rehabilitation training demonstrated positive effects on the levels of inflammatory factors and RDW in patients following heart valve replacement surgery. Rehabilitation training facilitated the rehabilitation process by reducing inflammatory reactions and improving the conditionof red blood cells. Moreover, it enhanced patients’quality of life and rehabilitation outcomes. These findings emphasized the importance of staged rehabilitation training after heart valve replacement surgery and offered valuable guidance and reference for clinical practice. Future research should continue toexplore the specific content and duration of rehabilitation training in order to further optimize the rehabilitation strategy for patients undergoing heart valve replacement.