Percorso riabilitativo individualizzato dedicato al paziente ultrasettantenne cardioperato Elderly patient-centered rehabilitation after cardiac surgery

Elderly patient-centered rehabilitation after cardiac surgery. A. Mazza, F. Camera, A. Maestri, F. Longoni, A. Patrignani, A. Gualco, C. Opasich, F. Cobelli. The rate of over-70 year post-surgery patients referred to the Cardiac Rehabilitation Units is increasing. Strategies designed to encourage and facilitate participation in rehabi- litation programs in the elderly should be developed. Aim of this paper is to present our elderly-centered pro- gram, specifically designed on patient's needs and frailty, and its short- and medium-term results in 160 consecutive over-70 year patients, admitted in our Cardiac Rehabilita- tion Unit soon after cardiac surgery. The program was safe, well accepted by the patients, and effective in improving objective and subjective functio- nal status.