2.2.2. Experimental group.
lower extremity arterial occlusive disease, voice, knee joints
A holistic rehabilitation nursing intervention based on the FTS concept was implemented. A rehabilitation nursing team was established, including a senior resident physician specialized in vascular surgery, a head nurse, 4 specialist responsible nurses, and a rehabilitation therapist. The nursing staff utilized academic websites like PubMed to retrieve professional literature related to “lower extremity arterial occlusive disease,” “rehabilitation exercise,” and “sleep quality.” Information gathered from the literature was presented in the form of videos and images, and one-on-one explanations were given to newly admitted patients at their bedside. The nursing team also encouraged patients to voice their concerns and anxieties, summarized these problems, and deliberated within the group to formulate improvement measures. During surgery, nursing staff assisted the surgeon to maximize the exposure of the surgical field. They placed soft pads at the bony prominences such as the ankle and knee joints to avoid the great saphenous vein. Nonoperative areas were wrapped in cotton pads or heated electric blankets maintained at 40 to 42 °C. The wound cleansing solution used was warm saline at 38 to 40 °C, with vital signs monitored every 15 minutes. Postoperatively, patients were guided to perform early ankle pump exercises on the bed for 10 to 15 minutes within 6 hours after the surgery. After each exercise session, patients rested for 30 to 35 minutes. This was followed by leg raising, toe dorsiflexion, and leg curl resistance training using a yellow TheraBand elastic band. Each exercise was performed in sets of 15 repetitions, 2 to 3 sets in total. Patients were encouraged to engage in early ambulation in their room or the hallway, starting with 15 minutes and gradually transitioning to 25 to 30 minutes, 2 to 3 times a day for 10 to 15 days. Ice packs were applied to the area around the wound for 1 to 20 minutes, with a 2-hour interval between each application, continuously for 24 hours. Patients were guided to perform mindfulness relaxation techniques and positive association or reminiscence for 20 to 25 minutes twice a day, morning and evening.