Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation

Our comprehensive cardiopulmonary rehab program helps you rebuild strength, increase mobility, and get you back to the activities you enjoy. Through carefully monitored exercise and education, our programs are customized for each person and paced according to your condition and abilities.

Types of Cardiopulmonary Rehab at Virtua

Virtua offers three types of cardiopulmonary rehabilitation:

• Cardiac Rehab: An important part of the recovery process following a heart attack or other procedure, cardiac rehab has been shown to reduce readmission to the hospital and the risk of death by 25%.
• Pulmonary Rehab: Designed for people with conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or persistent asthma, pulmonary rehab helps improve your lung function so you can live a more active life.
• Peripheral Artery Disease Rehab: Along with treatment from your doctor, PAD rehab will help improve your ability to walk without pain and improve your quality of life.

What do I need to start cardiopulmonary rehab?

Cardiac, pulmonary, and PAD rehab all require a prescription or referral from your doctor. We can assist you in verifying insurance benefits prior to enrollment.

Cardiopulmonary Rehab at Virtua

Virtua cardiopulmonary rehabilitation brings together three programs designed to rebuild your strength and stamina so you can enjoy a full and active life.

You may be a candidate for cardiopulmonary rehab if you have any of the following conditions and/or procedures:

Candidates for Cardiac Rehab:

• Heart attack
• Stable angina (chest pain)
• Congestive heart failure
• Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery
• Heart valve repair or replacement (such as transcathether aortic valve replacement, or TAVR)
• Angioplasty (“balloon” procedure)
• Cardiac stent implantation (percutaneous coronary intervention, or PCI)
• Heart transplantation
• Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation

Candidates for Pulmonary Rehab:

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD)
• Persistent asthma
• Interstitial lung diseases that cause progressive scarring of the lungs
• Sarcoidosis
• Lung cancer
• Primary pulmonary hypertension

Candidates for PAD Rehab:

• Experience claudication (pain while walking) as part of your condition
• Are able to walk for at least two minutes 

What to Expect With Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation

Cardiac Rehab

If you’ve had a heart attack or are dealing with other cardiac conditions, you may wonder if you’ll ever feel like your old self again. Cardiac rehab can’t turn back the clock, but it can improve your heart’s future.

Cardiac rehab focuses on exercise, building healthier habits, and reducing stress to strengthen your heart and help prevent another cardiac event:

• Physical activity: Learn exercises to get your heart pumping, such as training on a treadmill, stationary bike, or other equipment.
• Education for healthy living: Find out how to manage your risk factors, such as adopting a Mediterranean-style diet, maintaining a healthy weight, and taking your medicine as prescribed.
• Managing your stress: Learn to identify and tackle everyday sources of stress that can hurt your heart.

Pulmonary Rehab

Pulmonary, or respiratory, rehab is designed to build your endurance, relieve your symptoms, help you breathe better, and avoid complications. Following an assessment, your team will develop a supervised program that works for you. This may include:

• Exercise: Stretching, walking on a treadmill, riding a stationary bicycle, and using light weights will build your strength and stamina, all while monitoring your breathing and oxygen levels.
• Nutrition counseling: Learn what foods are best for you and how to maintain a healthy weight.
• Breathing techniques: Learn strategies such as pursed lipped breathing and diaphragmatic breathing to help increase your oxygen levels, manage your symptoms, and relieve fears.

Peripheral Artery Disease Rehab

PAD is the narrowing of the blood vessels serving your limbs due to the buildup of plaque. When you develop PAD, your legs don’t receive enough blood flow, causing pain, cramping, or fatigue in the leg or hip muscles when walking or climbing stairs (claudication). Typically, the pain goes away with rest.

PAD rehabilitation includes:

• Supervised Exercise Therapy (SET): Alternating exercise and rest in intervals will increase the amount of time you can walk before pain begins and limits your ability to function at your best.

During 36 sessions over 12 weeks, we will help manage your condition and prevent future cardiovascular problems while helping you return to your best possible physical and emotional health.