What is cardiac rehabilitation?
Cardiac rehabilitation (rehab) is a program designed to help improve your overall health by identifying risk factors that lead to cardiovascular disease. The program is considered part of the standard medical treatment for your heart condition.
You will work with exercise physiologists and/or registered nurses to help you reach your personal goals.
The goals of cardiac rehab are to help you:
- Prevent cardiovascular disease or keep it from getting worse.
- Learn more about your condition and plan of care.
- Make lifestyle changes to reduce your risk of a heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular disease that requires surgery.
- Improve your quality of life by increasing your ability to exercise and independently carry out activities of daily living.
- Perform better at work and in your daily and recreational activities.
- Get the support and motivation you and your family need as you make important lifestyle changes.
- Manage emotions like anxiety and depression.
Is cardiac rehab right for me?
Cardiac rehab is part of standard medical care for patients who have:
- Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.
- Interventional cardiac procedures such as angioplasty and stenting.
- Stable angina.
- Heart attack (myocardial infarction).
- Heart failure with a reduced ejection fraction (EF).
- Valve repair or replacement.
- Heart or lung transplant.
- Ventricular assist device (VAD).
What are the phases of cardiac rehab?
PHASE I
Phase I cardiac rehab starts in the hospital. A rehab specialist will work with you to help you be more active. You will get information about your recovery, reducing your risk of cardiovascular disease and the importance of Phase II rehab.
PHASE II
Phase II cardiac rehab is an outpatient program. You will get a referral for the program before or soon after you leave the hospital.
We will contact you to schedule your first appointment to create your individualized plan of care. Your plan will be created based on information collected during the appointment, such as:
- Details about your medical and family history.
- Your cardiovascular risk factors.
- Exercise testing.
- Your personal needs, goals, interests and abilities.
We will go over the details of your plan and talk to you about getting started.
What does the program include?
A typical plan includes 36 one-hour supervised exercise sessions. Expect to have 3 sessions per week in a gym dedicated to cardiac rehab. The gym features a variety of modern equipment.
Nurses and Clinical Exercise Physiologists who specialize in cardiac rehab will be in the gym at all times to ensure your safety, track your exercise and help you reach your program goals. A staff doctor is always available, if needed.
We also offer weekly classes for you and your family members, one-on-one education to help you reach your goals and nutritional counseling with a registered dietitian.
We will share information about your progress with you and your referring healthcare provider.
Where will I go for cardiac rehab?
Cleveland Clinic’s main campus cardiac rehab gym is in the basement of the J Building at Desk JB-1.
Why should I join Cleveland Clinic's Cardiac Rehab Program?
- The program is part of the Sydell and Arnold Miller Family Heart, Vascular and Thoracic Institute — ranked the #1 cardiac program since 1995 by U.S. News & World Report.
- Our program is certified by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation.
- Participating in cardiac rehab reduces your long-term risk of dying from a heart or vascular problem by 42%.
- Patients who complete Cleveland Clinic’s rehab program are able to exercise more than they could when they started the program - on average, greater than 20% more.
- The program includes a complete medical evaluation, exercise testing to make sure you stay safe, and an individualized plan of care to help you reach your goals and reduce your risk of heart disease.
- The staff members you work with are Certified Clinical Exercise Physiologists and Registered Nurses.
- You can schedule a one-on-one consult with a registered dietitian on staff.
- The program is integrated with Cleveland Clinic’s Preventive Cardiology Clinic.
Preventive Cardiology Clinic
The Preventive Cardiology Clinic is dedicated to preventing your risk of cardiovascular disease. The clinic includes doctors, nurse practitioners, nurses and other healthcare professionals from several departments, including specialists in cardiovascular medicine, endocrinology, hypertension, internal medicine, exercise physiology, psychology and nutrition therapy.
Part of your rehab program may include seeing these specialists to create a plan of care to manage traditional and emerging risk factors.
Does insurance pay for cardiac rehab?
Most insurance companies offer benefits for outpatient cardiac rehab if you recently had a heart attack or other event, heart surgery or have another heart condition.
Contact your insurance provider to find out about your coverage. We can help you do this before you start the Phase II Cardiac Rehab program. Or, you can call Cleveland Clinic Financial Services at 216.445.6249 or 866.621.6385 (M-F, 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.).
