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Heart and Vascular Care

Cardiac Rehabilitation

Cardiac rehabilitation helps you recover stronger and faster.

Helping You Recover Programs Who is Eligible Eduction Videos What to Expect

Helping You Recover Stronger and Faster

Participating in a cardiac rehabilitation program may reduce the risk of death in the years following a heart attack by 50 percent.

Rehabilitation Programs

Help in Recovery

Cardiac rehabilitation helps to increase your strength, flexibility and endurance after a heart attack, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) or coronary stenting, coronary artery bypass, heart valve repair/replacement, stable angina pectoris, and heart or heart-lung transplant. ChristianaCare’s cardiac rehabilitation program helps you to recover stronger and faster, but it also helps you to lead a heart-healthier life to reduce your risk for future heart problems. Our program is certified by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation.

Health Plan

Our cardiac rehabilitation program includes monitored exercise, which allows you to achieve a heart-healthy level of physical activity under the guidance and supervision of trained cardiac-rehabilitation specialists. But cardiac rehabilitation is more than just exercise. We’ll help you to gain a deeper understanding of heart-healthy nutrition (PDF download). We’ll teach you strategies to eat better, to reduce and manage stress in your life and even to quit smoking, if needed. We will evaluate your personal risk factors and work with you to develop a personal plan that puts you on the best track to optimal heart health.

Cardiac rehabilitation is more than just exercise.

Who is Eligible for Cardiac Rehabilitation?

Cardiac rehabilitation is for patients who have had any of the following:

Heart attack
Open-heart surgery
Stents
Angioplasty
Congestive heart failure
Valve surgery
Heart transplant

You will need a prescription from your doctor to join a cardiac rehabilitation program. If your doctor has not already recommended cardiac rehabilitation for you, be sure to ask. Be sure to check with your insurance company to determine the level of coverage for cardiac rehabilitation offered by your plan.

Educational Videos

Learn how to look after your health with videos from across our site.

What to Expect

Your first appointment with the cardiac rehabilitation staff will take about 90 minutes. You should wear comfortable clothes, and be sure to bring your insurance card and a list of all medications that you are currently taking.

This initial assessment will evaluate:

Your medical history and your risk factors for heart disease.
Any special precautions you will need to take as you begin the exercise part of your rehabilitation program.
Your baseline data, including heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen levels. This information will make it easier to gauge your progress through your rehabilitiation.

Orientation

Your next few visits following the first appointment will be an orientation session introducing you to the concepts and benefits of cardiac rehabilitiation. You will begin your personalized, monitored exercise program. You will also begin to learn strategies for acheiving better heart health. These will include nutrition and stress management.

Your Exercise Program

Over a period of up to three months, you will participate in one-hour sessions where the cardiac rehabilitiation staff will help you to exercise in increasing intensity, based on your body’s recovery. Your personal exercise plan will include a variety of exercises targeted to increase your cardiovascular fitness. During each session, you will be monitored by our staff, and your progress will be evaluated.