Postoperative cardiac rehabilitation is usually divided into 3 main phases: Phase 1 The primary focus in the early postoperative cardiac period should be on stabilizing the patient’s cardiorespiratory status. During the intensive care phase, continuous remote monitoring and routine vital sign recording allow for rapid diagnosis of postoperative complications. After removal of the tracheal intubation, stimulation of coughing up sputum, respiratory exercises and chest physiotherapy can help patients clear airway secretions, maintain airway patency and reduce pulmonary atelectasis. The goals of phase 1 rehabilitation after aortic surgery include the selection of appropriate medication and improving the patient’s exercise reserve capacity. It is also important to prevent the development of complications caused by prolonged bed rest. Therefore, it is important to routinely turn the patient to avoid pressure sores and to assist the patient in moving the limbs to prevent muscle atrophy. Once the surgeon has given permission, the rehabilitation process of resuming postoperative exercise can begin. It is critical for the surgeon to explain to the nursing staff that there are weight bearing and range of motion limitations. During this phase, rehabilitation should be performed under continuous remote monitoring. Vital signs such as heart rate and blood pressure should be recorded before, at the peak of activity, and after activity. Generally the rehabilitation process in phase 1 lasts from a few days to a week. During the 1st stage of rehabilitation, patients should begin, for example, active or passive bed mobility under supervision, or sitting within 24-48 hours after surgery. Low-risk patients can do exercises on their own, such as hourly ankle extension and dorsiflexion, sit on a bedside stool, and begin daily activities such as shaving, scrubbing, or oral care. Once the patient is transferred from the ICU to the general ward, the patient should be assisted to get out of bed and try to stand and start walking around the room. The heart rate and blood pressure after a 5-minute warm-up are recorded and used as a standard, and the target heart rate is increased by no more than 20 beats from the resting heart rate before the patient can continue walking. Therefore, low-risk patients can walk short distances twice a day. Phase 1 rehabilitation can last 1-2 weeks, but this training period can be shortened in order to reduce the length of hospital stay. More specific training can be done in a location other than the hospital. Consideration of a discharge rehabilitation program should begin during Phase 1 rehabilitation, focusing on how to reduce the patient’s risk factors, such as making lifestyle changes to help him or her quit smoking, controlling lipid levels, controlling weight, controlling blood glucose, reducing stress, and improving medication adherence. This phase is completed at home after the patient is discharged from the hospital. During this period, the patient can engage in light exercise and physical work. This phase can last from 2-6 weeks, followed by phase 2. Phase 2 Phase 2 rehab is primarily done outside the hospital, but can also be done in the hospital depending on the patient’s physical status. During Phase 2, the focus is on helping the patient return to the occupational or recreational activities that he or she was doing when healthy; adapting or finding activities that can replace previous ones if necessary; helping the patient engage in safe and effective indoor rehabilitation exercises and recreational activities; and providing appropriate health education to the patient and his or her family. In addition, counseling and education on stress relief, smoking cessation, nutrition, and weight loss should be provided to the patient during this phase. Phase 2 can last from 3-6 months. Cardiac Rehabilitation Phase Stage Exercise prescription in-hospital rehabilitation (Phase 1) provides services related to prevention and rehabilitation for patients hospitalized with cardiovascular disease…. Focus on early exercise. Early out-of-hospital rehabilitation (stage 2) provides services related to prevention and rehabilitation for patients discharged with cardiovascular disease and can usually last up to 1 year after surgery for 3-6 months. Long-term out-of-hospital rehabilitation (Stage 3) provides services related to long-term prevention and rehabilitation for patients discharged with cardiovascular disease. Phase 3 Stage 3 cardiac rehabilitation is a long-term project set up for secondary prevention and maintenance of a healthy lifestyle. In order to achieve such results, patients must perform training sessions 3-5 times per week. Patients can choose from exercise options such as walking, swimming, cycling or jogging. No medical supervision or remote monitoring is required for this phase. Patients can monitor their own heart rate during training by touching a pulse at the wrist or by checking a portable monitor. The goal of this phase is to maintain current physical status and reduce risk factors for recurrence of heart disease. This phase is ideal from six months after surgery and should be maintained throughout life.