Following an intensive 6-month rehabilitation programme with First Community’s cardiac rehabilitation physiotherapists, heart failure patient Mr Michael George makes huge improvements to his health, enabling him to be placed on the heart transplant waiting list for the very first time.
East Surrey resident Michael, aged 51, was diagnosed with a dilated cardiomyopathy in 2005 which is a type of heart muscle disease that causes the muscle chambers of the heart to thin and stretch, making it harder for the heart to pump blood to the rest of the body.
After being hospitalised for over a year, Michael’s heart condition began to deteriorate quickly, he became extremely short of breath and his heart stopped beating.
In order to keep Michael alive, he was transferred to Harefield Hospital, Uxbridge in February 2022 to undergo surgery to attach a Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) to his heart. The LVAD, is a mechanical pump that’s implanted inside a person's chest to help a weakened heart pump blood and can mean the difference between life and death for a person waiting for a heart transplant, as is the case for Michael.
In April 2022, Michael was referred to First Community’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Service and at that time was not deemed well enough to be on the heart transplant waiting list. The team of physiotherapists conducted routine fitness assessments and medical checks early on, to enable them to plan a comprehensive rehabilitation programme for Michael.
First Community’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Physiotherapist, Lindsey von Backstrom, has supported and worked closely with Michael since his initial referral and said: “Michael has been attending gym sessions twice a week with us where he completes a range of gentle exercises and continues to be closely monitored by Harefield Hospital.
“As a result of his hard work, dedication, and commitment to improving his health and fitness levels, I’m absolutely delighted that he's now been accepted and is well enough to be placed on the heart transplant waiting list.
“He's an incredible person to have in the class and is one of the strongest patients I’ve ever worked with. He’s incredibly positive about the outcome and wants to get better and I hope he gets the heart he so desperately deserves very soon.”
Michael has built strong friendships and connections with the team during his rehabilitation journey and said: “The First Community team has left an indelible mark on me; the experience has been ecstatic and the support the team has given me has been amazing.”
Patients’ blood pressure and pulse rate is usually monitored during an exercise class, but as the LVAD device pushes a continuous blood flow around Michael’s body he doesn’t have a pulse. Instead, the Borg Scale is used for Michael which works by asking him to rate his exertion levels during the activity, combining all sensations and feelings of physical stress and fatigue and this helps the team determine if he’s working too hard or not hard enough.
A cable called the driveline connects the LVAD, which is inside the body, through the skin and to a controller, which is outside the body. The controller, which Michael keeps with him at all times in a backpack, senses the function of the LVAD and controls the power to make it work.
Find out more about the care and support provided by First Community’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Team: www.firstcommunityhealthcare.co.uk/what-we-do/community-and-outpatient-services/cardiac-rehabilitation
Video caption: Heart Failure Patient, Michael George and First Community’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Physiotherapist Lindsey von Backstrom talk about Michael’s rehabilitation journey as he awaits a heart transplant.