Nowadays, a wider range of patients can benefit from cardiac rehabilitation:
Indications
- Chronic ischaemic heart failure, following stabilisation with optimal medical treatment and correction of coronary artery narrowing (via angioplasty or surgery)
- Angina (like chest pain) that does not respond to medical treatment
- Valvular heart disease: either the valve cannot be operated on, or the heart has been overworked for too long and is unable to return to normal function easily
- Cardiomyopathy: a disease of the heart muscle caused by a virus, toxins, or often by unknown factors (‘idiopathic’)
- As preparation for major surgery in patients at high surgical risk due to poor cardiac function or following such procedures, to support and speed up functional recovery.
Methods
Patients receive comprehensive care in all areas:
- An individually tailored exercise training programme, carried out under close supervision and monitoring
- Ongoing medical supervision and adjustment of treatment
- Dietary and lifestyle advice (including alcohol consumption and smoking), with access to support from a specialist psychologist if needed
- Educational and information workshops
- Social support, including planning for placement in a care facility where necessary.
The length of the inpatient programme is generally around one month. It is important that these efforts are continued after discharge. To support this, we have developed an outpatient cardiac rehabilitation programme. A project is also underway to expand home-based rehabilitation or collaboration with ‘coronary clubs’.
Results
Results are assessed as objectively as possible for each patient through regular evaluations, such as the 6-minute walk test, which serves as a reliable benchmark. Extensive, well-documented studies have demonstrated improvements in:
- Cardiac function parameters
- Life expectancy
- Quality of life
All this information is shared with the patient’s general practitioner, enabling effective collaboration with the cardiac rehabilitation team.
Exercise Stress Test
Methods
Patients receive comprehensive care in all areas:
- An individually tailored exercise training programme, carried out under close supervision and monitoring
- Ongoing medical supervision and adjustment of treatment
- Dietary and lifestyle advice (including alcohol consumption and smoking), with access to support from a specialist psychologist if needed
- Educational and information workshops
- Social support, including planning for placement in a care facility where necessary.
The length of the inpatient stay varies but is generally around one month. It is important that these efforts are continued after discharge. To support this, we have developed an outpatient cardiac rehabilitation programme. A project is also underway to expand home-based rehabilitation or collaboration with ‘coronary clubs’.
Results
Results are assessed as objectively as possible for each patient through regular evaluations, such as the 6-minute walk test, which serves as a reliable benchmark. Extensive, well-documented studies have demonstrated
- An improvement in cardiac function parameter
- An increase in life expectancy
- An improvement in quality of life.
All this information is shared with the patient’s general practitioner, enabling effective collaboration with the cardiac rehabilitation team.
