Department of Cardiovascular Rehabilitation @ Ospedale San Raffaele

The Cardiovascular Rehabilitation (CR) Unit offers to patients with cardiovascular conditions dedicated programs to obtain a faster and more complete recovery after the acute phases of the disease. CR programs are aimed at improving the global functional capacity, the cardio-respiratory fitness and the psychological and nutritional balance of the patients, allowing the best return possible to work, social and family activities after the hospitalization.

CR is also a central place of cardiovascular prevention through optimization of the treatment, management of the risk of disease progression and education about the specific cardiac conditions and lifestyle changes. Personalized programs are managed by a specialized multidisciplinary team: cardiologists and nurses with experience in the cardiovascular and general issues of the cardiac patients in the subacute phase, physiotherapists dedicated to cardiovascular and respiratory training, psychologists and nutritionists.

The availability of the full hospital diagnostic facilities and the continuous interactions with cardiac and vascular surgeons, invasive cardiologists, arrhythmologists, infectious disease experts, neurologists, nephrologists, pneumologists, and endocrinologists offer the best management of all comorbidities and potential complications.

In the out-patient CR clinic visits are performed after the discharge for a comprehensive long-term follow-up to maintain and enhance the results obtained during the in-patient programs ad to assess potential further medical needs. Out-patient visits are also aimed at assessing patients who might have indication to hospital admission for more intensive treatment and in-patient CR programs.