What is cardiac rehabilitation?
Cardiac rehabilitation is a doctor-supervised program for people who have most kinds of heart disease. Program participants may or may not have had a heart attack or heart surgery (or other heart procedures). Cardiac rehabilitation can often improve functional capacity, reduce symptoms, and create a sense of well-being for patients.
What conditions may benefit from cardiac rehabilitation?
Conditions or cardiac procedures that may necessitate cardiac rehabilitation may include, but are not limited to, the following:
Angina pectoris
Myocardial infarction (heart attack)
Post-open heart surgery
Cardiac procedures for heart disease:
Post-heart transplantation
Balloon angioplasty
Pacemaker
Stent placement
Congenital heart disease
Arrhythmias
Rheumatic heart disease
Heart failure
The cardiac rehabilitation team
Cardiac rehabilitation programs can be conducted while a person is a hospital inpatient or on an outpatient basis. Many skilled professionals are part of the cardiac rehabilitation team, including any or all of the following:
Cardiologist or cardiovascular surgeon
Physiatrist
Internist
Other specialty doctors
Rehabilitation specialists
Registered dietitian and nutritionist
Physical therapist
Occupational therapist
Speech or language therapist
Psychologist or psychiatrist
Recreational therapist
Chaplain
Vocational therapist
The cardiac rehabilitation program
A cardiac rehabilitation program is designed to meet the needs of the individual patient, depending on the specific heart problem or disease, and should be supervised by a cardiac doctor and a team of cardiac professionals. The program’s length may range from six weeks to a year or longer and will depend on your specific needs.
The goal of cardiac rehabilitation is to help patients reverse their symptoms and maximize cardiac function. Cardiac rehabilitation includes, but is not limited to, the following activities:
Establishing a progressive exercise program to build fitness and functional capacity
Providing educational classes to help adjust to or change the patient’s lifestyle and habits, such as:
- Smoking cessation classes
- Nutrition classes
Offering stress management techniques and techniques to reduce anxiety
Counseling and educating the patient with regard to his or her specific heart condition or disease and the best management approach for that specific condition
Preparing the patient to return to work by equipping him or her to meet the physical and psychological demands of the job