Rehabilitation after coronary angioplasty--is it effective?

To determine the effects of cardiac rehabilitation following coronary angioplasty, 30 patients were evaluated by telephone questionnaire following discharge from a cardiac rehabilitation program. Angioplasty educational booklets and fat-controlled dietary instruction were provided for all 30 patients; however, the diet was actually implemented by only 11. Activities of daily living and home physical exercise guidelines were provided for 24 of the 30 subjects. Outpatient follow-up questionnaire within six months after discharge revealed 14 of 30 working full-time, 18 of 30 on fat-controlled diet, 16 of 30 regularly exercising, and 18 of 30 not smoking. Anginal chest discomfort warranting physician evaluation had developed in 11 of the 30. We identified the following problems in our cardiac rehabilitation program for angioplasty patients: no advance starting notice to rehabilitation team, short hospitalization (mean 4.9 days), little family unit instruction, and physicians ordering a regular diet when a special one was indicated. We conclude that our program of inpatient cardiac rehabilitation following angioplasty is not effective in altering patient behavior with regard to fat-controlled diet, exercise habits, and smoking habits, and that symptoms of angina pectoris requiring physician evaluation are common in these patients.