The Basics of Cardiac Rehabilitation

The heart attack recovery process can be quite challenging. Traditionally, it involved rest and a healthy diet. While these actions are significant, an additional option has helped speed up patients’ heart attack recovery. Enter cardiac rehabilitation services.

What is Cardiac Rehab?

Cardiac rehab, also known as cardiac rehabilitation or heart rehabilitation, is a medically supervised program that helps patients recover from heart attacks as well as improves the health and well-being of people who have heart problems. A rehabilitation program typically incorporates physical exercise training, education promoting heart-healthy living, and counseling focused on stress reduction and adopting a healthy lifestyle. Each patient receives a personalized program tailored to their specific needs.

A successful cardiac rehab program promotes optimal lifestyle changes and medical management to:

• Improve cardiovascular health
• Prevent the occurrence and/or progression of cardiovascular
• Reduce the risk of a heart attack, stroke, or need for future surgery

What are the Goals of Cardiac Rehabilitation?

The cardiac rehabilitation aims to:

• Enhance your overall heart health
• Promote a healthy lifestyle
• Increase your understanding of your heart or blood vessel disease and treatment
• Direct you making the right lifestyle changes to decrease your risk of future cardiovascular problems
• Increase your ability to perform your job and your daily or recreational activities
• Provide you and your family with the support and motivation you need to make important lifestyle changes

Who Can Benefit from Cardiac Rehabilitation?

Cardiac rehabilitation programs benefit patients who have or are recovering from heart or vascular procedures.

• Cardiovascular conditions encompassing heart disease, angina, and myocardial infarction (heart attack)
• Surgical interventions for the heart, including coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), valve repair or replacement, aortic aneurysm repair or replacement, heart transplant, and various other procedures
• Interventional techniques like angioplasty, PTCA, atherectomy, rotoblation, or stent placement
• Heart failure
• Abnormal heart rhythms (Arrhythmia)
• Blood flow-related disorders leading to conditions like syncope
• Implantation of cardiac devices such as pacemakers or internal defibrillators (ICDs)
• Various other manifestations of heart or vascular disorders

The cardiac rehab program helps to promote the health and wellness of cardiac patients in the hospital and during recovery.

What are the Benefits of Cardiac Rehabilitation?

An important part of cardiac rehab is exercise or physical activity which makes the heart and the rest of the body stronger. Aside from this, cardiac rehab offers other benefits:

• Prevents future hospital stays, heart problems, and even death related to heart problems. It can likewise reduce visits to the hospital’s emergency department since cardiac rehab patients are now more educated about heart attack symptoms.
• Helps the patients adopt healthy lifestyle changes. The changes may include a diet good for the heart, increased exercise or physical activity, and better stress management.
• Counseling and education which are vital parts of cardiac rehab can help the patient quit smoking, eat right, lose weight, and maintain ideal blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

What is Cardiac Rehab like?

At The Medical City (TMC), cardiac rehab is a customized program of exercise and education managed by a multidisciplinary team composed of cardiologists, physiatrists, psychiatrists, nurses, physical therapists, dietitians, pharmacists, and other allied health workers. The cardiac rehab program at TMC is also known as CARES or Cardiac Rehabilitation & Secondary Prevention Program.

The goals of CARES are to help the patient regain strength, prevent his condition from getting worse as well as to reduce the risk of future heart problems. It goes without saying that TMC CARES add up to a better quality of life.

TMC CARES has 6 components: medical evaluation, nutritional counseling, risk factors, physical activity counseling, exercise training/testing, and psychosocial evaluation and support.

Medical Evaluation

Prior to entering Phase II or III Cardiac Rehab programs, you will undergo an initial medical evaluation and history taking (intake process). Likewise, all medical and diagnostic procedures you underwent will be recorded and taken into consideration. If you underwent angioplasty or bypass surgery, the cardiac rehab fellow or consultant will take note of this. We also consider all your other medical problems.

This will aid us in making an individualized cardiac rehab program for you. You will be advised on four foundations:

1. Exercise training and prescription
2. Nutrition and presence of risk factors
3. Psychosocial aspect
4. Education

Activity Classes

Your activity is designed to help you recover from your recent cardiovascular event or procedure and to help you return to your daily activities, your job, and hobbies. Your program will be tailored to your personal needs, abilities, and interests.

Every session is under medical supervision and conducted by certified rehabilitation specialists and nurses. Cutting-edge monitoring equipment and a range of exercise devices are provided to ensure your safety and convenience.

Education

Weekly patient and family education classes are provided. They include topics such as nutrition, risk factors for heart disease, cardiac anatomy, and the emotional challenges of heart disease. Individual education is also provided to help you optimize your quality of life and attain your goals.

What are the Different Phases of Cardiac Rehab?

The cardiac rehab program under TMC CARES has three stages: Phase 1 or In-hospital Phase, Phase 2, or Out-Patient Phase and Phase 3, or Out-Patient Maintenance.

• Phase 1 is aimed at preventing the harmful effects of prolonged bed rest. While the patient is still in his room, physical therapy activities are started by encouraging early sitting, standing, and walking. Initial health education and psychosocial evaluation are also done during this phase.
• Phase 2 starts within one to two weeks after hospital discharge. Group exercises are done three times a week for six weeks. Education, counseling, and behavioral services are also conducted twice a week for six weeks.
• Exercises under Phase 2 include aerobics, calisthenics, resistance, or strength training among others.
• On the other hand, Phase 3 refers to the continuation phase which will last for three months. It involves group exercises three times a week. It likewise focuses on risk factors and lifestyle modification.

How Long is Cardiac Rehab?

For Phase I – you will be evaluated and assessed daily by the Cardiac Rehab doctor. Your exercise may be brief (initially 20-40 minutes) because you will/or are most likely still in bed recovering from a heart attack, bypass surgery, etc. Your exercises will progress day to day and may be longer thereafter.

For Phase II – after being discharged from the hospital (1 week), you will be interviewed and reassessed (intake process). Your doctor will determine, depending on your condition, what exercises are appropriate for you. Phase II is a 16-session program with a three-times-a-week schedule. (Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday). You will undergo two treadmill stress tests to measure your improvement, early and late in the program. Based on this, a progress report will be given to you and your attending physician. You will also attend a series of eight lay lectures.

For Phase III – 24 sessions of two to three times per week to help maintain and further improve your cardiovascular fitness and prepare you to either go back to work or resume your previous regular activities and exercises.

How to enroll in TMC’s Cardiac Rehab Program

Participating in a Cardiac Rehab program requires a formal written referral from your physician or cardiologist. You are also required to attend the orientation facilitated by the Cardiac Rehab Staff.

The cardiac rehab team wants to provide the best possible care for each person enrolled in the program. A thorough medical history and evaluation will be done by the staff to come up with a customized program based on the four foundations of the individualized cardiac treatment plan. These are exercise, nutrition, education, and psychosocial aspects.

Is Cardiac Rehab Worth It?

Absolutely! Cardiac rehabilitation has been scientifically proven to greatly enhance the quality of life for individuals with heart conditions. It not only aids in physical recovery but also provides invaluable emotional support and education on adopting a healthier lifestyle. The profound impact it has on mitigating the risk of future heart issues renders it an indispensable component of comprehensive cardiac care. Hence, investing time and effort into a cardiac rehabilitation program is undeniably worthwhile for those embarking on the path to heart health.

What are the Possible Problems Related to Recovery?

The effectiveness of our rehabilitation program in the Philippines is largely dependent on your cooperation and compliance. Attending the Cardiac Rehab sessions will decrease the risk of another cardiac event. But it may also take longer for you to experience the benefits if you have medical problems that may prevent you from attending the sessions (like severe arthritis, infection, strokes, etc.)

How Can The Medical City Help You?

The Medical City Cardiovascular Center offers a comprehensive and specialized Cardiac Rehabilitation Program. We have a complete roster of competent and well-trained doctors and therapists to provide comprehensive and customized programs of exercise and education. The goals are to help you regain strength, prevent your condition from getting worse, and reduce your risk for future heart problems. These can add up to a better quality of life after a heart attack.