Heart surgery is not a “fix it and forget it” proposition for Dr. D.P. Suresh.
The next step is cardiac rehab, a program of closely-supervised exercise and education. Whether it lasts three months or six months, it is critical to recovery and wellbeing.
“It’s an extra set of healthcare eyes,” said Suresh, director of heart and vascular at St. Elizabeth Physicians. “The nurses are awesome, the team has been together for a long time. They can guide patients when they have questions about medication or activities or pain.”
After a heart attack, patients have a lot of questions, new ones almost daily.
Rehab provides real-time answers to questions based on how a patient is feeling that day and what activities they feel ready to tackle. Patients are monitored while they exercise and medical staff is there to supervise what is being done and how.
“Nurses may pick up something that has changed or the patient hasn’t asked,” said Suresh. “A patient who has had bypass surgery may have a lot of chest wall pain and the nurse can explain that it is not heart pain.”
It’s more than a team approach. Suresh is immediately notified when the staff has a concern. “I may get a message, ‘Dr. Suresh, I think something is going on”I’m worried about the patient’s home situation’ or something,” he said. It keeps the doctor involved in the care between appointments.
Cardiac rehab includes education and counseling on healthy eating, how to stop smoking and how to exercise safely. It also provides emotional support for the patient who simply wants to know:
- When will I feel better?
- When can I return to my sex life? How will it be different?
- How much exercise is too much?
- When can I go back to work?
The amazing thing is the camaraderie that develops. Suresh said patients see someone else’s progress and realize “I think I can do it.”
“It’s one of the best things that can happen because it encourages them to move on,” he said. “One group of patients who had cardiac surgery a decade ago still comes back for reunions to encourage themselves and each other.”
Why can’t patients do it on their own?
It’s a familiar story: no supervision, no accountability. “All of us are expected to do things in life, but we don’t,” said Suresh, but he hopes that time spent in cardiac rehab leads to lifelong healthy habits.
Supervised cardiac rehab is important, according to the American Heart Association, because:
- Regular physical activity helps your heart get stronger and lifts your spirits.
- Counseling can help you quit smoking, lose weight, lower your blood pressure and cholesterol levels and eat right.
- Close supervision by healthcare professionals, working with your doctor, can improve your health.
