Pronounced improvement following progressive physical therapy in an LVAD recipient

This paper refers to a 67-year-old male dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) patient who received the left-ventricular assist device (LVAD) implant. However, having been affected by heart failure for many years, the patient had sustained long-term fatigue and weakness, and hence was in a depressed mood. The patient also experienced decreased muscle strength and muscle mass due to aging, which also led to a lack of endurance after the surgery. During the post-surgery recovery phase, the author worked with the patient, his family, physical therapists and heart-failure case-managers to implement an individually tailored recovery regime. As a result, the patient achieved an activity level of 1.0–3.0 metabolic equivalents (METs) in the cardiac care unit after surgery, which effectively improved his lack of endurance for activities. In addition, the patient performed daily living activities independently and regained his confidence. This case demonstrates the importance of cardiac rehabilitation and timing of cardiac rehabilitation.