Cardiac Rehabilitation

Cardiac Rehabilitation

Cardiac Rehabilitation is a program for anyone recovering from heart conditions like heart attack, heart failure or any heart surgery. It not only helps the person recover from the heart problem, but also prevents future heart problems.

The goal of Cardiac Rehabilitation program is to improve the cardiovascular health of the patient including physical and psychological effects of the heart disease. It aims to strengthen the heart, reduce stress, build healthier habits and increase energy levels. The learnings from the program should be followed for the rest of the life to avoid any future heart related ailments.

The Cardiac Rehabilitation program is for anyone who has been affected with one or more of the following disorders:

  • Coronary artery disease
  • Myocardial infarction
  • Heart failure
  • Congenital heart disease
  • Heart surgeries like angioplasty or valve replacement
  • Cardiomyopathy

A cardiac rehabilitation program at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Indore usually lasts for 3 months, but can stretch beyond that depending on the patient’s response. It begins with medical evaluation and understanding the disease followed by the different aspects of the program and ends with a maintenance plan that can be continued later. The program is a team effort which involves top cardiac doctors, nurses, family and friends to support the patient through the various stages of the program.

A cardiac rehabilitation program includes:

  • Physical activity
    This involves exercise which gets the heart pumping and the cardiovascular system working. Low impact activities and muscle strengthening exercises are usually recommended. All these activities are supervised by an expert cardiac rehabilitation team.
  • Education
    This involves creating awareness about risk factors for heart health and how they can be avoided or controlled to prevent heart issues. They could be lifestyle habits like smoking or alcohol consumption or sedentary lifestyle habits.
  • Counselling
    This helps in improving mental health by identifying the sources of emotional stress that can affect the heart and ways to avoid them. The Centre for Cardiac Sciences works in conjunction with some of the best counsellors who help patients tide over their emotional stress with ease.