[Rehabilitation problems with heart valve prosthesis patients]

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Psychology

Background:

• Over 1500 patients with heart valve prostheses have been treated.
• Post-operative treatment and rehabilitation are crucial for patient recovery.
• The degree of invalidity in patients with cardiac valve prostheses is often overestimated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a comprehensive physical and psychological rehabilitation method for patients with heart valve prostheses.
• To demonstrate the efficacy of the described rehabilitation program.
• To emphasize the importance of objective exercise testing in assessing patient disability.

Main Methods:

• Summarizing experience from over 1500 patients.
• Implementing a structured physical and psychological rehabilitation program.
• Utilizing exercise tests for disability assessment.

Main Results:

• Significant increase in physical work endurance by 92%.
• Marked decrease in psychological disorders by 41.5%.
• Demonstrated efficacy of the sanatorium stage of post-operative treatment.

Conclusions:

• The described rehabilitation program is highly effective for patients with heart valve prostheses.
• Sanatorium-based post-operative treatment plays a vital role in recovery.
• Objective exercise testing is essential for accurate disability evaluation and should be used by rehabilitation commissions.