Corroborating Psychological Rehabilitation With Cardiac Rehabilitation to Optimize Recovery in Post Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Patient: A Case Report

Besides various advancements in technologies, cardiac surgeries are associated with various pulmonary and psychological consequences. In this article, we describe the case of an elderly female patient who presented to the emergency unit with complaints of severe chest pain, breathlessness, and sweating. She was diagnosed with triple vessel disease and underwent coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Post-operatively she was anxious, restless, and complained of pain and difficulty in breathing. For which a comprehensive tailor-made rehabilitation program was designed by the Cardio-Pulmonary Physiotherapist, which included cardiac rehabilitation along with psychological rehabilitation, which proved to be effective in substantial gains in both physical and mental wellbeing. This provides a pathway towards the treatment planning and aspects of patient problems that should be focused on, along with an effective day-wise protocol to improve patients’ symptoms using both physical and mental perspectives. The patient was assessed using various outcome measures, which revealed drastic changes in breathlessness, depression, anxiety, pulmonary capacities, and overall quality of life. We conclude that anchoring psychological rehabilitation to cardiac rehabilitation will provide effective management and improve the overall quality of life of such patients and healthcare burden.