Rehabilitation After a Cardiac Event

Baptist Health Corbin: Rehabilitation after a Cardiac Event

Cardiac Rehabilitation nurse Krista Mitchell, RN, describes how rehabilitation services help patients recovering from a heart attack or heart surgery lead a normal life again.

Rehabilitation After a Cardiac Event Health Talks Transcript

Krista Mitchell, RN, Cardiac Rehabilitation
A cardiac event is when a patient experiences a heart attack, a heart stent, or an open heart surgery, which could include a heart bypass, valve replacement, congestive heart failure, or chest pain, which the doctor determines is coming from the heart. When the patient comes to Cardiac Rehab, we provide lifestyle education to help prevent the patient from having a further heart event. We monitor their blood pressure, initially. We apply a heart monitor so we’re able to see their heart tracing on the monitor while they’re exercising. That allows the patient to feel more comfortable while they’re here, getting their heart rate up and exerting themselves, while they have medical staff here to observe them and to make sure that they are OK exercising.
Gary Knowlton, Corbin, Kentucky
Even though the doctors and everybody had told me that I was good and everything was OK, I still had a little bit of fear, and I wanted to know for sure what I could do and what I couldn’t do. This Cardiac Rehab unit shows you that there is nothing to be afraid of. You can go ahead and lead a normal life and do your exercises and do what you need to do.

Mitchell
Our goal in Cardiac Rehab is to get the patient to a level of comfort where they feel comfortable enough to continue the lifestyle changes that we have educated them on while they’ve attended our program.

Knowlton
It’s wonderful to have this outfit right here close, and they can get you back on your feet in a hurry.