What is Cardiac Rehabilitation?

Cardiac Rehabilitation or Cardiac Rehab is a medically supervised program that helps patients recovers from heart attack.

 

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 goals of cardiac rehabilitation are to?

• Improve your overall heart health

• Promote healthy lifestyle

• Increase your understanding about 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, such as:

• Cardiovascular disease, angina or heart attack (myocardial infarction)

• Heart surgery: coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), valve repair or replacement, aortic aneurysm repair or replacement, heart transplant, other types of surgery

• Interventional procedure, such as angioplasty, PTCA, atherectomy, rotoblation, or stents

• Heart failure

• Arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm)

• Hemodynamic disorders, such as syncope

• Device implants, such as pacemakers or internal defibrillators (ICDs)

• Other forms of heart or vascular disorders

 

The Cardiac Rehabilitation Program helps to promote the health and wellness of cardiac patients in the hospital and during recovery.

 

What are the benefits of Cardiac Rehab?

• Improves quality of life

• Reduces hospitalizations: Cardiac rehabilitation is dose dependent. Studies show that the more cardiac rehabilitation sessions one attends, the lesser the risk of being hospitalized

• Reduces overall mortality and lower risk of sudden deaths

 

Other benefits include:

• Improves exercise capacity

• Promotes better blood pressure control

• Improves cholesterol levels

• Improves control in blood sugar

• Promotes weight management

• Promote smoking cessation through lectures and counseling

 

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

 

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 and 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.

 

All sessions are medically – supervised and are led by certified rehabilitation specialists and nurses. State – of – the – art monitoring equipment and a variety of exercise equipment are available for 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 attain your goals.

 

Who comprises the Cardiac Rehabilitation clinical team?

The Cardiac Rehab Team, dedicated to your success, includes the following:

• Cardiologist

• Physiatrist (Exercise Doctor)

• Registered nurses

• Registered dietitians

 

These health care professionals provide and monitor individualized lifestyle adjustments including management of cholesterol levels, nutrition, exercise, smoking cessation and weight loss.

 

What are the different phases of Cardiac Rehab?

• Phase I: While in the hospital, Phase 1 Cardiac Rehab staff will direct your early activity program. They will teach you about the recovery process and educate you on how to reduce your future risk of heart problem.

• Phase II: Soon after you leave the hospital, you can enroll in the outpatient Phase II Cardiac Rehab Program.

• Phase III: This refers to a life – long cardiac rehab maintenance program.

 

How long does each phase lasts?

1. 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.
2. For Phase II – coming from 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 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.
3. For Phase III – Twenty four sessions of two to three times per week to help maintain and further improve you 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 cardiologists. 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 four foundations of the individualized cardiac treatment plan. These are exercise, nutrition, education and psychosocial aspect.

 

How do I enter a Phase II/III Cardiac Rehab Program?

• Your doctor’s referral is usually all that is necessary to enter the Phase II or Phase III of the Cardiac Rehab Program.

• After the referral is made, the Cardiac Rehab staff can arrange your exercise test (for optimization of the exercise plan), ECG and blood tests if necessary. This information, along with your medical history, interests, and rehab goals, will be vital in developing your individualized program. The goals of your program are incorporated into the ongoing care offered by your referring physician.

• Following your participation in the rehab program, your risk factors for cardiovascular disease can be managed through the Preventive Cardiology Clinic or your personal physician.

 

What happens after Phases II and III are completed?

After completion of Phases II and III, you will be provided with a summary of all the goals you’ve met and areas you need to improve on. You will be given a formal progress report which you should show your attending Cardiologists.

 

What is experienced by the patient during each session?

At first you may feel apprehensive but as you go through with the session, you will feel better, less shortness of breath and more confident with your activities. You will also feel safe because the exercises are supervised by the staff (nurses, therapists and doctors).

 

What are the risks of Cardiac Rehab?

You may feel dizzy or lightheaded during exercises especially if done for the first time but this will subside. You may be educated on the use of equipment but the risk of tripping or falling from the treadmill and bike machines may still occur. Temporary lowering or increasing of your blood pressure and heart rate may occur.

 

What are the risks and complications of NOT having Cardiac Rehab?

According to the British Heart Foundation, heart patients who do not take part in cardiac rehabilitation are 25% more likely to die in the following two to five years.

 

What are the possible problems related to recovery?

The program will not be effective if you do not cooperate/ comply with your cardiac rehab sessions/activities. 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.)

 

What is the likelihood of success?

It’s important to know that your chances of having a successful Cardiac Rehab program rest largely on you; the more dedicated you are to following your program’s recommendations, the better you’ll do.

 

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 therapist to provide comprehensive and customized program of exercise and education. The goals are to help you regain strength, to prevent your condition from getting worse and to reduce your risk for future heart problems. These can add up to a better QUALITY OF LIFE.

 

References:

Guidelines for Cardiac Rehabilitation and Secondary Prevention Programs. AACVPR. 4^th ed. 2004

Guidelines for Cardiac Rehabilitation and Secondary Prevention Programs. AACVPR. 5^th ed. 2004

AACVPR Cardiac Rehabilitation Resource Manual. 2006

http://www. Cardiacrehabilitation.org.uk/docs/simple.pdf

 

Note: This information is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional medical advise, diagnosis or treatment.   If you or someone you know have any of the symptoms mentioned above, it is advisable to seek professional help.

For more information, please call:

 

CARDIAC AND PERIPHERAL LABORATORY / CARDIAC REHAB

Tel. No. (632) 988-1000 / (632) 988-7000 ext. 6461

 

CENTER FOR PATIENT PARTNERSHIP

Tel. No. (632) 988-1000 / (632) 988-7000 ext. 6444