Target

Patients with coronary art bypass grafting, aortic valve implantation, heart transplant, and thoracic aortic surgery are all suitable targets for cardiac rehabilitation programs during hospitalization.

Importance of rehabilitation exercise for post-heart surgery.

After doctor evaluation, the patient can engage in progressive exercises during hospitalization. The pain from wound after the surgery could affect the patient’s intent to exercise but early exercise is very important for the recovery of cardiopulmonary functions as it not only stabilizes the illness condition, reduce the harm from inactivity and get the patients prepared for discharge from hospital.

Instructions for Rehabilitation Exercise

• Warm up before exercise and cool down after exercise. Measure heart rate, blood pressure and blood oxygen saturation level before and after the exercise.
• The heart rate should not exceed 120 beats/minute or less than 50 beats/minute before exercise. If the heart rate increases too much during exercise compared with during rest (initially the rate should not exceed more than 20 beats/minute than during rest), or reduce by 10 beats/minute compared with rest. Both conditions indicate that the heart could not bear the loading of exercise intensity at this time and must slow own the intensity or suspend (Those taking β-blockers will have lower heart rate and are recommended to use Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale for monitoring the intensity.).
• Meal is required before exercise to avoid low plasma glucose during exercise. Exercise is recommended in 1~2 hours after the meal.
• In case the patient experiences nausea, vomiting, breathing difficulty, chest tightness, cold sweat, dizziness, excessive fatigue, or any discomfort during the exercise process, this indicates that the heart could not sustain such activity intensity and should be immediately stopped with exercise and notified to the personnel.

Common Rehabilitation Exercise in Ward

The objectives for exercise in ward aim to restore the basic daily function and adjust the level of exercise endurance gradually and progressively.

Conclusion

The rehabilitation exercise in ward during hospitalization can be carried out through low-intensity and progressive activities to slowly establish the cardiopulmonary endurance, so that the patient can cope with daily life after returning home. The patient will understand their body reactions to exercise and thereby develop the habits of regular exercises after discharge from the hospital and retore the physical function with maximum benefits.