Indications:

Post-PTCA, post-bypass surgery and post-myocardial infarction

Penang Adventist Hospital has a unique Vibrant Hearts Cardiac Rehabilitation program which is individually designed to assist patients with heart disease to return to an active and satisfactory lifestyle through combined and coordinated use medical, psychosocial, educational and vocational approach. Normally after heart attack or major surgery, the patients would generally felt weaker or they would have lost certain confidence in their own health. This program will let them exercise under supervisionin another words, exercise in a safe environment.

The Goal of Vibrant Hearts Cardiac Rehabilitation

Entry Criteria

Cardiac rehabilitation commences once your cardiologist makes a referral. Inpatients who have undergone surgery will automatically be enrolled prior to discharge from the hospital. The program usually commences 2-4 weeks following discharge or before patients return to work.

The patient is required to undergo some form of evaluation, normally treadmill stress test, to ascertain the baseline effort tolerance. Your cardiologist will prescribe the target exercise heart rate. Patients will need to sign a consent form detailing the risk or benefit of cardiac rehabilitation.

How is cardiac rehabilitation conducted?

The patients will be exercising in groups. Concurrent education workshops will assist patients to make long term commitment for a lifestyle modification and to stay heart healthy. Patients will be guided by the cardiac rehabilitation team consisting of experienced physiotherapists, nurses and doctors. Adequate warm-up is required. They will then be given a polar watch to monitor their heart rate. When they exercise on different machinese.g. treadmill, rower, bicycle etc., they will be reminded to look at their heart rate recorded on their polar watches. They are required to exercise within the heart rate prescribed by their cardiologist.

The exercise level will be reassessed as their stamina improves. The program will usually take 6 weeks initially. Once they have completed the 6 weeks (Phase 2) training, they can proceed to Phase 3 with minimal supervision. Phase 1 rehabilitation is carried out in the ward when the patient is still hospitalized.

Studies have shown that cardiac rehabilitation improves ones fitness and sense of well-being.