CARDIAC REHABILITATION
n What is Cardiac Rehabilitation, what are the benefits of it?
Cardiac rehabilitation is a comprehensive treatment program for patients suffering from recent myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome, chronic stable angina, congestive heart failure, percutaneus coronary intervention, heart transplantation, heart valvular surgery, and other cardiac and/or cardiovascular disease. The principle components of the program are exercise and education. This program helps you to reach your best level of physical activity, psychological health and occupational performance safely after the event.
n The cardiac rehab programs try to improve the underlying risk factors of the disease, support you to gain behavioral changes needed to maintain a healthier life style, by this way helps to prevent the recurrence or progression of the disease, and lowers the mortality.
n When should I participate to a cardiac rehabilitation program?
Cardiac rehabilitation begins after the diagnosis of your disease and is an essential part of your treatment. The program depends on the duration of the disease. In the very early stage of the disease, if you had an intervention in cardiology or cardiovascular clinic, exercises consisting of range of motion of the joints, a stepped mobility program and starting self care activities at a safe intensity for you is carried out, besides your medical and nutritional needs. After discharge you may be referred to outpatient cardiac rehabilitation program.
n Outpatient cardiac rehabilitation program is carried out by PMR physicians and nurses experienced in cardiac rehabilitation in our Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Laboratory. The exercise sessions are applied under closed medical supervision by a doctor and nurse or supervised by nurses according to the risk level of your disease. After the initial assessment at admission psychologist, dietitian consultations may be performed if required. At the beginning of the program your cardiologist or cardio-vascular surgeon suggestions are required which underlines that the treatment plan is adequate and no other interventions are needed before cardiac rehabilitation program. Additional consultations are also obtained during the progress of the program to manage the problems like uncontrolled blood pressure, arrhythmia or else which can be determined only during exercise.
n What are the contents of the outpatient cardiac rehabilitation program?
· Initial assessment at admission to cardiac rehabilitation program
History, diagnosis, ongoing treatments, co morbidities
Life style and risk factors
· Testing for determining the present exercise capacity, and planning the intensity of the exercise program.
· Closed medical supervision according to the risk level of your disease (Pulse, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, ECG etc.)
· Discussion with you about healthy life style, physical activity, exercise, risk factor management, healthy nutrition, body composition.
· Discussion about the tobacco use, cessation, prevention from taking up smoking and directing to smoking cessation policlinics if required.
· Assessment for the psycosocial health and directing if required
· Assessment of the need of medical risk management, and directing if required
· Last assessment at the end of the program, and education for long term self-management, follow ups.
Who are the team members?
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physicians
Consultant physicians: Cardiologist/Cardiovasculary surgeon and other
Nurses
Ergo therapists
Physiotherapist
Dietitians
Psychologists
Special Clinic & Rehabilitation Services
After a heart disease it takes time to return to your usual daily living. Your muscle condition may be lower, your psychology may be affected by the disease, you may have some worries. Also your life style habits may not be suitable to prevent another attack and cardiovascular disease is usually accompanied with some co morbidities like hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, smoking habits. Cardiac rehabilitation programs help to manage these risk factors and improve accompanying co morbidities with its comprehensive approach.
Exercise training is the principle component of the program. The intensity, type, frequency, duration of the exercise are decided individually for each patient. Exercise intensity is planned according to your exercise capacity, by this way effective outcomes may be obtained. A 8-12 week training program is targeted to achieve the goal. Besides aerobic/endurance exercises education, physical activity counseling, diet counseling, psychological counseling, tabacco use cessation are the other components of the treatment.
PULMONARY REHABILITATION
What is pulmonary rehabilitation, and what are its benefits?
Pulmonary rehabilitation is a comprehensive treatment approach that aims to minimize disability and loss of function due to chronic lung disease. It is also applied in situations that affect the function and capacity of the lungs, rib cage, and respiration, such as acute diseases, immobility, neurological, and muscular diseases.
The principal components of the program are exercise and education. This program helps you reach your best level of physical activity, psychological health, and occupational performance. Pulmonary rehabilitation helps you manage your symptoms related to your chronic pulmonary disease. According to your disease situation, pulmonary rehabilitation can be implemented at the hospital as an inpatient or outpatient program or as a home-based program.
Pulmonary rehabilitation approaches begin after the diagnosis of your disease and are essential parts of your treatment. Pulmonary rehabilitation programs target improving the symptoms of dyspnea, helping you manage your secretions, and improving your physical exercise and activity capacity. The program supports you in making behavioral changes needed to maintain a healthier lifestyle, which helps to prevent the exacerbations of the disease and provides a better quality of life.
When should I participate in a pulmonary rehabilitation program?
If you suffer from symptoms like dyspnea, reduced quality of life, functional impairments, decreased performance at work or activities of daily living, and if you have difficulties managing the disease, psychosocial problems related to the disease, inadequate nutrition, frequent exacerbations, and frequent emergency and/or hospital admissions, you may benefit from pulmonary rehabilitation.
What are the contents of a pulmonary rehabilitation program?
Initial assessment at admission to pulmonary rehabilitation
History, diagnosis, ongoing treatments, co-morbidities
Lifestyle and risk factors
Exercise testing is used to determine the present exercise capacity and plan the intensity of the exercise program.
Exercise sessions with medical supervision compatible with the risk level of your disease
Discussion with you about healthy lifestyle, physical activity, exercise habits, risk factor management, healthy nutrition, and body composition.
Discussion about the tabacco use, cessation, prevention from taking up smoking and directing to smoking cessation policlinics if required.
Assessment for psychosocial health and directing if required
Assessment of the need for medical risk management and directing if required
The last assessment at the program's end is education for long-term self-management and follow-ups.
Who are the team members?
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physician
Consultant physicians: Chest Physician, cardiologist, cardiovascular surgeon, thoracic surgeon and other
Nurse
Ergo therapist
Physiotherapist/ Respiratory Therapist
Dietitian
Psychologist
Special Clinic & Rehabilitation Service
Exercise training is the principal component of the program. The intensity, type, frequency, and duration of the exercise are decided individually for each patient. Exercise intensity is planned according to your exercise capacity. In this way, effective outcomes may be obtained. An 8-12 week training program is targeted to achieve the goal. Besides, aerobic/endurance exercise, respiratory muscle training, breathing strategies training, airway clearance techniques, balance, arm shoulder region exercises, electrical stimulation, physical activity and diet counseling, psychological counseling, and tobacco use cessation are the other components of the treatment which may be used if required.