Cardiac rehabilitation
Cardiac rehabilitation aims to help you recover from a cardiovascular event — such as a heart attack or heart failure — or other debilitating heart condition. This recovery process usually involves physical therapy, exercise and education to rebuild and maintain your heart strength.
Cardiac rehab specialists in Wasatch Front
Cardiac rehabilitation (rehab) at MountainStar Healthcare hospitals helps individuals return to healthy, productive lifestyles following life-changing cardiac events.
Our cardiac rehab program involves exercise that is medically-supervised by heart rehab exercise specialists. Here, we will help you achieve your optimal level of cardiac function and overall well-being.
Expert advice, available 24/7
Free medical information is just a phone call away. Our nurses help you understand your symptoms, treatment options and procedures. They will also help you find a provider or specialist and schedule an appointment.
Free medical information is just a phone call away. Our nurses help you understand your symptoms, treatment options and procedures. They will also help you find a provider or specialist and schedule an appointment.
Related specialties
Learn more about our related specialties
Who needs cardiac rehab
Your heart is a muscle that can be strengthened through exercise that increases in amount and intensity over time. For this reason, cardiac rehab is useful for people of all ages who also have heart problems. It can help them:
- Address risk factors that lead to coronary heart disease and other heart problems, such as angina, coronary artery disease and heart failure
- Adopt healthy lifestyle changes
- Improve their health and quality of life
- Prevent future hospital stays, heart problems and other heart-related health complications
- Recover after a heart attack or heart surgery, such as coronary bypass surgery, heart valve repair/replacement, heart transplant or angioplasty/stent
How cardiac rehab programs work
Before you begin exercising, you will complete a thorough pre-entrance exam. We will use this to develop your specific exercise prescription. Within the guidelines of your prescription, our staff will supervise you as you participate in a variety of exercises. As you recover and get stronger, we will gradually increase the intensity of your activities according to your level of fitness.
Typically, cardiac rehab occurs in three, 60-90 minute sessions of exercise, education and counseling per week. This can last up to 12 weeks following the initial recovery from your heart event.
Learning about your heart
Our cardiac rehab program includes ongoing education about heart health. This is intended to give you the understanding of what’s necessary to achieve a lifetime of wellness.
Education topics include:
- Exercise for a healthy heart
- Heart healthy nutrition
- High cholesterol
- Risk factors for heart disease
- Smoking cessation
- Stress management
- Understanding heart disease
- Weight control
Who can participate
All of our patients who are being seen for heart problems or events are invited to participate in the cardiac rehab program. However, your physician will know the best treatment for your unique needs, so they must refer you to our program. In these cases, they will be kept informed of your progress with monthly reports and direct communication.
Cardiac testing
As part of this care and also to assess the risk or severity of heart related issues, Mountain View Hospital offers a wide range of cardiac testing and treatment services.
6-minute walk tests:
6-min walk test are useful in assessing aerobic capacity and endurance. We will measure the distance you can cover over a 6-minute walk while monitoring heart rate, oxygen levels and work of breathing.
ECG
Electrocardiogram is a painless non-invasive test that can measure the electrical activity of the heart. An ECG can help your physician determine if your heart’s electrical activity is normal or abnormal
Treadmill stress test
The treadmill stress test is used to evaluate the heart’s response to stress in a safe environment. This test is done by having you walk on a treadmill at various speeds, while a clinician observes and documents any electrical changes in your ECG.
Echo sonography (adult and pediatric)
Also known as cardiac ultrasound, this is a type of imaging that uses ultrasound to evaluate the structures of the heart. This test is used to diagnose heart conditions that may be affecting your way of life.
Echo stress / Dobutamine stress tests
These tests are similar to regular echo tests in that ultrasound is used to view the structures of the heart. However, in these tests a treadmill or pharmacologic (Dobutamine stress) medications can be used to stress the heart. Images are then taken to help a physician diagnose and treat.
Cardioversion
Cardioversions are used to convert a fast heart rate and other cardiac arrhythmia to normal heart rates using a low energy shock. This procedure can be used to treat atrial fibrillation (A-fib) or fast heart beats known as supraventricular tachycardia (SVT).
At-home heart monitor:
A health care provider can prescribe a Zio monitor that can be sent directly to your home for self-application or applied in our office. This heart monitor is contained in a small water-resistant patch that is worn on the chest and monitors heart rhythms.
For questions about these or other Cardiac services, or about our Pulmonary Care, please call our Cardiopulmonary department at 801-465-7099 between the hours of 9:00am and 1:00pm, Monday through Friday.
Appointment Scheduling
To schedule an appointment, call our Central Scheduling department at (801) 465-7300.