Cardiac rehabilitation

After you experience a problem with your heart, cardiac rehabilitation can help you improve your overall heart health. As a form of cardiac therapy, it can also help you manage risk factors to reduce the chance of experiencing another heart attack or adverse event.

The American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR) certifies our Cardiac Rehabilitation Program after a review process every three years. AACVPR compares our program to other cardiac rehabilitation programs throughout the U.S., verifying our commitment to great cardiac rehabilitation care.

What is cardiac rehab?

At Advocate Heart Institute, cardiac rehabilitation is a team-based program designed around the needs of our patients. Our goal with cardiac therapy is to help you recover after all types of cardiac events, such as:

• Chest pain (angina)
• Coronary heart disease/heart attack
• Heart failure
• Cardiovascular surgery

Cardiac rehabilitation includes three components:

• Exercise: Heart patients should begin exercising as soon as possible after a cardiac event to improve cardiovascular strength. We teach you how to exercise safely in monitored sessions immediately following your event and throughout your recovery post rehab.
• Education: Understanding your health challenges and risk factors can help prevent future heart problems. Our program enables you to understand heart conditions and how to make heart-healthy choices in the future.
• Counseling: We partner with mental health professionals to address your overall well-being after major cardiac treatment. Counseling can help you work through mental health challenges related to heart conditions and your ongoing care.

Benefits of cardiac rehabilitation at Advocate Heart Institute

Cardiac rehabilitation is an essential part of recovery. It can help you feel better and get back to the activities that you love. Other benefits of cardiac rehabilitation include:

• Better quality of life: Heart disease and heart conditions don’t have to limit what you do. Cardiac rehabilitation helps you regain the confidence to do what makes you happy.
• Healthier body weight: Regular exercise and a healthy diet will help you maintain an appropriate body weight to reduce your risk of future heart events.
• Increased activity levels: We help you safely increase exercise after a cardiac event so you can stay active and keep your heart healthy.
• Stress management: Access to counselors during rehabilitation helps you address stress and learn practical tools for managing it.

Research shows that cardiac rehabilitation can also lower the chance of requiring hospital admission after initial treatment. We offer multiple services that help you through recovery, including:

Medication review after cardiac treatment

We review all your medications after your hospital discharge. The review includes medications you were taking before your cardiac event, and anything we prescribed during your stay. Carefully reviewing all your prescriptions and over-the-counter medications ensures you are not at risk for interactions.

Regular monitoring to regain confidence

We regularly monitor key vital signs during cardiac rehabilitation, including:

• Blood pressure
• Heart rate
• Heart rhythm

Depression screening

Heart attacks and other cardiac events can be frightening. You might worry it could happen again, making it harder to participate in activities that bring you joy. Regular checkups and meetings with our team can give you the confidence to get out and live your life again.

Continuity for your cardiac care

At Advocate Heart Institute, cardiac rehabilitation is a team effort. Every member of our team has extensive experience and training in how to improve recovery after a cardiac event. Our multidisciplinary team includes:

• Cardiac surgeons
• Cardiologists
• Electrophysiologists (heart rhythm specialists)
• Cardiac rehab nurses
• Dietitians
• Exercise specialists

You also get continuity of care from the time you enter our hospital through all your aftercare and follow-up. We collaborate with physicians and providers throughout our health system to get you the best care before, during and after rehabilitation.

Types of patients we treat in cardiac rehabilitation

We work with all types of cardiac patients. Most people who enroll in cardiac rehabilitation come after being treated for a heart condition or experiencing a cardiac event. You are eligible for rehabilitation after:

• Cardiac catheterization
• Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery
• Heart transplant
• Heart valve surgery, replacement or repair
• Open-heart surgery
• Ventricular assist device (VAD) placement

Risk of future cardiac disease

Your doctor may refer you to cardiac rehab if you are at high risk for cardiac disease or cardiac events. Rehabilitation can reduce your risk and help you avoid significant and costly future medical care.

Phases of cardiac rehabilitation

Our cardiac rehabilitation program includes inpatient and outpatient stages. It can begin either while you are in the hospital or with a referral from a physician. During the program, you get an individualized treatment and exercise plan. Care phases include:

Hospital care

Someone from our team meets with you while you are in the hospital following a cardiac event. We discuss a timeline for your recovery and show you some exercises you can do in the hospital. We come to your room to take you on short walks and document your progress.

A member of our team will also talk to you about the benefits of continuing cardiac rehabilitation. After your discharge you can discuss it with your cardiologist, who can refer you to the program for outpatient care.

Outpatient care

In this phase of cardiac therapy, you choose a class time and come three days a week for exercise and educational classes. Classes include 30 to 45 minutes of cardiovascular exercise, as well as some strength training and stretching. During your visit we monitor your vital signs, including blood pressure and heart rhythm.

Our dietitian attends the classes monthly. They talk about heart-healthy diets and how to prepare healthy meals. The total program includes 36 sessions over 12 weeks.

Home-based cardiac rehabilitation

We have a home-based cardiac rehabilitation program for patients who cannot attend in-person classes. Using an app and at-home monitoring tools, you:

• Monitor vital signs like blood pressure and heart rate each day and see a dashboard of all your results over time
• Attend virtual exercise classes through the app on a computer, tablet or smartphone
• Receive educational materials to help you create a heart-healthy lifestyle
• Attend in-person meetings at the facility once a month

Home-based cardiac rehab is ideal if you live far away or have other things that prevent you from coming to class regularly. This remote cardiac therapy option also gives you more flexibility to exercise on your own time.

Peripheral artery disease rehabilitation

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a condition where narrow arteries limit the blood flow to legs and arms. The most common symptoms include leg pain, burning sensation or cramping while walking (claudication). Atherosclerosis, or the buildup of fatty deposits in the arteries that go to your arms and legs, causes PAD.

If you’re diagnosed with PAD with claudication pain, your physician may recommend peripheral artery disease rehabilitation. To make the diagnosis, your doctor may give you a physical exam where they review your symptoms and an ankle-brachial index test.

For PAD rehabilitation, you’ll attend a structured treadmill walking program and education classes. And we’ll be right beside you every step of the way, giving you the support and guidance you need to help improve your quality of life and get back to being you.