Cardiac Rehabilitation after VA cardiac procedures

[GuaymasJim]

Has anyone on hadit ever been offered or prescribed cardiac rehabilitation after cath and stents, bypass surgery, valve replacement or repair surgery?  If yes, where, when, and how.  If no, was cardiac rehab even mentioned during post procedure?  It appears that only about a dozen VA hospitals have cardiac rehab "clinics" and personnel to provide the required guidance and monitoring even though numerous studies, including those funded by the VHA, have demonstrated unequivocally that monitored cardiac rehab slows CAD progression, substantially reduces cardiac mortality rates, lengthens post procedure life expectancy, and improves quality of life for the patient.  VAMC Tucson does not offer it.

[harrysday]

yes boston va did mine I had 2 stents put in and 17 weeks of rehab 3 times a week good luck and no more bacon lol

[Mike_S]

Miami VA did not have it in 2006 when I had my bypass.

I knew it was important and tried to get it outside the VA but it was too expensive.

[Chuck75]

It seems to be something that has become standard practice. In 1987, after I had open heart surgery, it was discussed, but, since I lived

a hundred miles away, dropped. Much later, the regional heart center about twenty miles away started offering it.

The original recommendation in '87 was to walk, walk, walk. I did this until my hips started complaining.