Cardiac rehabilitation

Cardiac rehabilitation care teams at Ascension Wisconsin provide personalized care for your heart after surgery or a heart attack.

Helping improve your heart recovery in Wisconsin

Cardiac rehabilitation care teams at Ascension Wisconsin provide personalized care for your heart after surgery or a heart attack.

Why choose us

When you choose Ascension Wisconsin for personalized outpatient cardiac rehabilitation, you are receiving care from an American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR) certified program.

Understand cardiac rehabilitation

Cardiac rehabilitation is a medically supervised program that may be part of your cardiac treatment recovery plan. Whether you have a heart condition or are recovering from a heart attack or heart surgery, your cardiac rehab may be recommended to support your recovery. Ascension Wisconsin offers vascular and pulmonary rehabilitation.

If you have PAD or had vascular leg surgery, vascular rehabilitation may be recommended as a medically supervised exercise program. Pulmonary rehabilitation may be recommended if you have a lung disease such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pulmonary hypertension, cystic fibrosis or asthma. During your cardiac rehabilitation sessions, specialists monitor your heart and help you develop confidence as your heart gets stronger.

Reasons for cardiac rehabilitation care

Common reasons your doctor may recommend cardiac rehabilitation:

  • Congestive heart failure
  • Coronary artery bypass surgery
  • Heart attack
  • Heart or heart-lung transplant
  • Heart valve repair or replacement
  • Peripheral artery disease (PAD)
  • Treatment for angina (chest pain)

A doctor's referral is required to participate in a cardiac rehabilitation program.

How we manage your cardiac therapy

During cardiac rehabilitation, we monitor your heart and discuss medications. We also help you make nutrition and lifestyle changes to lower your cholesterol, manage your blood pressure, and improve your overall health. Your nurses and exercise specialists work with you to strengthen your heart and lungs and help manage your symptoms. We also help you cope with stress by providing support to you and your family.

At Ascension Wisconsin your rehabilitation is completed in phases:

  • Inpatient cardiac rehabilitation (Phase I) - Hospital-based care that begins shortly after your heart surgery or diagnosis. Your cardiologist and inpatient care team work together to provide you with a personalized recovery care plan.
  • Outpatient cardiac rehabilitation (Phase II) - After you are discharged from the hospital, you’ll participate in a medically supervised outpatient program that takes place at a hospital or clinic.
  • Continuation program (Phase III and Phase IV) - At some Ascension Wisconsin sites of care, we provide cardiac rehab that supports you post-recovery, helping you maintain a heart healthy lifestyle.

Advanced testing for heart conditions

Our cardiac rehabilitation teams deliver care for the whole person to help improve your emotional and physical health. Your care team provides heart assessments and other tests to help monitor your progress, including:

This imaging procedure uses an X-ray machine and a computer to create 3-D pictures of the heart. Sometimes a dye is injected into a vein so that your heart arteries can also be seen. Sometimes medicine is given to lower your heart rate so it captures a better image. It can also be used to find out how much calcium is in your heart arteries. Calcium is a marker for coronary artery disease.

This procedure uses a combination of large magnets, radio waves, and a computer to make detailed images of organs and structures in your body. Your doctor may order an MRI of the heart to look at the heart valves and major vessels. It can also detect coronary artery disease and how much damage it has caused. It can also assess heart problems that have been present since birth. It can find tumors and other conditions. Your doctor may order this test before other procedures such as angioplasty or stenting of the coronary arteries and heart or vascular surgery.

For this test, you wear a small, portable, battery-powered ECG machine. Small patches (wired electrodes) are attached to the skin over your heart. The monitor records heartbeats over a period of 24 to 48 hours during normal activities. At the end of the time period, you will return the monitor to your doctor so it can be read and evaluated. Some Holter monitors can be worn for up to 2 weeks. These monitors are patches and don't require wires.

This is also called a treadmill or exercise ECG. This test is done to monitor the heart while you walk on a treadmill or pedal a stationary bike. Your doctor also monitors your breathing and blood pressure. A stress test may be used to detect coronary artery disease, or to determine safe levels of exercise after a heart attack or heart surgery. This test can also be done using special medicines that stress the heart in a similar manner as exercise does. Sometimes a stress test will collect ECG information along with heart ultrasound pictures. This is called an exercise or stress echocardiogram (echo). It's more sensitive and specific than ECG stress testing alone.

Program features and benefits

Cardiac rehabilitation can help speed up your recovery and keep your heart healthy. Our program focuses on:

  • Controlling weight and improving cholesterol levels
  • Creating healthy lifestyle habits and managing stress
  • Identify exercises to improve vascular health
  • Increasing self-confidence
  • Reducing your symptoms and helping to prevent another cardiac event
  • Returning to work and activities of daily living
  • Relieve leg pain for vascular diagnosis
  • Strengthening and conditioning your heart and lungs
  • Understanding your medications and how to manage your heart condition
  • Walk longer distances

Exercise options after completing the program

Your care doesn’t end after completing your cardiac rehabilitation. We also provide supportive care and help connect you with community fitness programs.

How to get care

stethoscope

A doctor's referral is required to participate in the program. Medicare Part B and other private health insurance plans provide a covered benefit for participating in general or intensive cardiac rehabilitation.

Refer your patient to Ascension

Your patients can expect compassionate, personalized care from the moment our specialists connect with them. Our rehabilitation care teams start by listening to fully understand your patient’s needs and to develop an individualized care plan.

If you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, go directly to the ER or call 911.

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