With all due respect to Pellicle's opinion on cardiac rehab, as a cardiac surgical nurse, I have to disagree; please read a passage from one of my Patient's Guide to Open heart Surgery books I will paste below:
Cardiac Rehab
Cardiac rehabilitation is a specialized program designed to help get you back to an active and safe physical life. Many insurance plans including Medicare provide coverage for cardiac rehabilitation and its primary goal is to offer counseling, exercise, nutrition, and psychological support, as you recover.
As you are instructed to start your road to rehabilitation, many patients are reluctant and even scared to stress their bodies. They feel that any physical strain or stress may injure or even cause another heart attack or problem. This is why cardiac rehab is such a great program. While you participate in the program, you are under the care and supervision of skilled staff: cardiac nurses, physical therapist, exercise physiologists, and nutritionist. All of them have specific knowledge of your surgery and limitations, and all trained in cardiac and emergency patient care. Best of all, your progress is reported back to your doctor.
At cardiac rehab, you are given more tools and information to keep your heart healthy. Don't think of it as a bunch of old people drudging on a half-broken treadmill. Most of these places are vibrant and modern. The course can include swimming, bicycling, and walking programs.
(It's not your father's cardiac rehab!) You learn how hard and how much you can stress and exercise your body. They teach you how to alternate periods of rest and activity so you can exercise without becoming too fatigued. You also will have the opportunity to meet with others who are on the same journey, maybe even had the exact same surgery. You will learn how to get the best results out of all your hard work.
As you exercise, the cardiac rehab staff will monitor not only your heart rate, but also your EKG pattern. Most centers have monitors that measure your vital signs, oxygen saturation, and your blood pressure.
Now that's a safe way to start exercising and stressing your heart!
Other Benefits From Cardiac Rehabilitation Include:
- Detection and control of irregular heart beats
- Detection and control of post-op complications
- Review of your medications and dietary supplements
- Direct communication with your physician
- Education on how to lower your LDL bad cholesterol and raise your HDL good cholesterol
- Maintaining of your weight or weight loss
- Educating you on the risk factors of your surgery and recovery
- Choosing healthy lifestyle changes: smoking cessation, daily exercise, diet
- Slowing or even reversing cardio-vascular disease
Unfortunately, many patients do not participate in cardiac rehab. And of those that do participate, many drop out long before the end of the program. Some of the main reasons for non-participation are the following: lack of transportation, lack of strong endorsement from their doctor, accessibility issues to the cardiac rehab sites. The programs are usually 2 to 3 one-hour sessions per week and the program can be as long as 36 weeks. It is the length of the program that I believe to be the main stumbling stone for most patients. I have heard patients state that after the first couple of weeks, they have learned what to do and are capable of doing it on their own at home. However, just like most gym memberships (trust me I use to be a personal fitness trainer); most people tend to drop out of exercise programs after one month, especially if trying to do it on their own.
The statistics from the American Heart Association are sobering. Only 31% of post cardiac bypass patients participate in cardiac rehab programs. However, those who do participate and complete the entire program have a 20 to 30 % reduction in mortality up to 5 years post participation. One study of over 21,000 patients revealed a 17% reduction of recurrent heart attacks in patients that took advantage of cardiac rehab programs; it also showed a 47 % reduction in death at 2 years out, over those that did not do cardiac rehab.
That statistic alone should give you pause.
Bottom line: if you are offered cardiac rehab and it is covered by your insurance,
take advantage of it! Studies clearly show that those who attend all sessions (usually around 36), are less likely to die or have an heart attack in the next 4 years, over those that don't attend. The camaraderie alone will be worth it. You will meet many other people there that are on the same road of recovery. You will have the benefit of sharing stories and post op ailments with patients that have had the exact same procedure as you. You may hear yourself saying: "Yes! I'm having that same problem too. I thought it was just me. It is great to hear that it is normal after surgery ..."
