I really, really, really encourage patients to attend a cardiac rehabilitation program after heart valve surgery.

As I personally learned during my early recovery, cardiac rehab can greatly enhance the physical and mental well-being of patients while minimizing post-operative issues like cardiac depression ^[1].

New medical studies and patient stories (e.g. Charles Harrall ^[2]) continue to illustrate the positive effects of cardiac rehab programs for patients following a cardiac event – heart attack, CABG or valve surgery. Still, research suggests that cardiac rehabilitation is under-utilized ^[3] by the patient community.

As another source of encouragement for patients to enroll in cardiac rehab, I just found this interesting video which discusses the benefits of these programs. Simply click the “play” button in the video above and please make sure the sound on your computer is on.

I hope this helps you further understand the benefits of cardiac rehab.

Keep on tickin!