Cardiac Rehabilitation

What is cardiac rehabilitation?

At Riley Children’s, cardiac rehabilitation is a supervised exercise and education program. Led by cardiologists and physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists, it is designed to help patients with congenital or acquired heart conditions recover from surgery and strengthen their cardiovascular health.

What conditions need cardiac rehabilitation?

As children grow with heart conditions, they may face challenges with everyday life. Cardiac rehabilitation can benefit children with:

• Congenital or acquired heart defects
• Heart failure
• Heart transplant
• Recovering from heart surgery

Cardiac rehabilitation at Riley Children’s

Riley Children’s is home to Indiana’s only comprehensive pediatric cardiac rehabilitation program. At Riley Children’s, we offer a structured inpatient and outpatient program that focuses on exercise, education, and support. Our program consists of multiple phases, beginning with Phase I, which involves evaluating, prescribing, and supervising a personalized exercise plan while your child is inpatient at Riley Hospital for Children in downtown Indianapolis.

Phase 1: Inpatient cardiac rehabilitation

Within the Riley Heart Center, cardiologists and physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists provide oversight of rehabilitation services, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy.

Phase 2: Outpatient cardiac rehabilitation

Soon after patients leave the hospital, patients enter Phase 2 of cardiac rehabilitation which is led by our Exercise Physiologist. This includes regular appointments at the Riley Outpatient Center. This phase is designed to increase your child’s exercise tolerance and strength in a monitored, safe and fun environment.

The benefits of cardiac rehabilitation

The aim of cardiac rehabilitation is to improve quality of life for patients living with congenital heart defects. The benefits include improved exercise capacity, increased self-confidence and independence, reduced risk of future cardiovascular problems, and the adoption of healthy lifestyles.