Heart & Vascular

Cardiac Rehab

We offer rehabilitation for cardiac conditions or after heart surgery, as a key part of successful recovery and return to healthy living.

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Overview

Cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, or heart and lung cardiac rehab, is a critical part of a successful recovery. After your heart or lung surgery, our skilled team of rehab experts designs a program for your exercise and education. It helps you regain strength and reduce your risk of future heart complications. We also offer support groups to help you best manage your physical condition and emotional well-being.

You may qualify for our cardiac rehab programs if you have one of these conditions or procedures:

Angina pectoris (chest pain) that is currently stable
Congestive heart failure (CHF)
Heart attack (myocardial infarction)
Heart transplant
Open heart surgery for valve or bypass
Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA)

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A Targeted Approach to Your Recovery

Our comprehensive cardiac rehab program has two phases: inpatient and outpatient. Our rehab teams are highly trained, and our outpatient program is accredited by the American Association of Cardiovascular & Pulmonary Rehabilitation. This accreditation confirms our dedication to outstanding rehabilitative care.

Phase I: Inpatient Cardiopulmonary Rehab

During your hospital stay, inpatient cardiopulmonary rehabilitation begins a day or two after your surgery.

During phase I, an exercise physiologist works with you to:

Educate you about your condition and care after you leave the hospital
Help you adjust to low activity and reduce your anxiety
Help you understand lifestyle adjustments needed, such as smoking cessation, dietary guidelines and exercise recommendations
Improve the function of your heart, lungs and vascular system
Increase your strength, endurance and independence
Prevent weakness and issues caused by prolonged bed rest
Reduce secondary complications, such as blood clots or pneumonia
Shorten your recovery time and length of hospital stay
Teach you exercises and symptoms to watch for during exercise

Phase II: Outpatient Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation

Phase II of cardiac rehab is a medically monitored exercise and education program. You’ll meet with us three times a week for about 36 sessions. We customize the program to meet your needs and goals, optimizing your health and well-being. We support and educate you about lifestyle changes to reduce your risk of future heart problems and enhance your quality of life.

Benefits of Outpatient Cardiac Rehab

The benefits of continuing rehab as an outpatient include:

Reduced risk of a fatal heart attack (≥ 25 percent) 
Decreased chest pain (angina) and the need for anti-angina medications
Fewer hospital stays
Decreased cost of physician office visits and hospitalizations (≤35 percent) 
Fewer emergency room visits 
Fewer future heart issues

After one year and more than 24 cardiac rehab sessions, participants had a 58 percent lower risk of death (34 percent after five years).

Cardiac Rehab for Patients with Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD)

We offer a unique rehab program for those with peripheral artery disease (PAD) who have pain while walking. This exercise and education program includes 36 sessions to help you safely get back to a better quality of life.

Our team will monitor your health as you walk on a treadmill three to five days per week for 12 weeks. Each session lasts 30 to 60 minutes.

Program goals:

Increase your strength and endurance
Improve your gait (walk) with less pain
Prevent your PAD from progressing
Lower your risk of cardiovascular problems
Improve your ability to function

We can also help you make lifestyle changes and reduce your risk factors, including:

Eating a heart-healthy diet
Losing weight
Managing blood pressure and diabetes
Quitting tobacco use
Reducing your stress and anxiety

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