[{Health and work after invasive heart procedures, rehabilitation and occupational evaluation]].

Unlabelled: «Health and work after invasive heart procedures, rehabilitation and occupational evaluation».

Background:: Our previous experience with the “CardioWork” protocol (activated in 2005) demonstrated the usefulness of the interaction between occupational physician and cardiologist to facilitate work resumption after invasive heart procedures and subsequent rehabilitation, adapting the work tasks of the patients to the changed physical capabilities.

Objectives:: We surveyed the health conditions and employment status of the subjects previously studied, years after their completion of the protocol in order to verify its effectiveness over a long period of time.

Return to work after coronary angioplasty or heart surgery: a 5-year experience with the "CardioWork" protocol.

Objective: The "CardioWork" protocol, for work resumption after invasive heart procedures and subsequent cardiac rehabilitation, is presented.

Methods: Over 5 years, 107 consecutive patients of working age were enrolled. Jobs were classified as multiples of basal metabolism according to the entity of physical strain.

Does job satisfaction predict early return to work after coronary angioplasty or cardiac surgery?

Purpose: Few studies have analyzed the relationship between job satisfaction and return to work (RTW) in cardiac patients. The aim of this paper was to investigate whether job satisfaction predicted early RTW in patients sick listed after cardiac invasive procedures.

Methods: A 6-month prospective study was carried out in a sample of 83 patients in working age who had recently been treated with angioplasty or cardiac surgery.

Intra-observer and interobserver reproducibility of right ventricle volumes, function and mass by cardiac magnetic resonance.

Objectives: Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) allows quick and non-invasive evaluation both of right ventricle (RV) volume and function, which are important in many heart diseases. We have evaluated CMR intra- and interobserver reproducibility in different conditions of RV dimension and function.

Methods: We have analysed CMR exams of 45 subjects, randomly selected from our database according to RV end-diastolic volume (EDV; 15-subject groups with EDV < 25th, 25-75th and > 75th percentiles of a normal control population).

[A new test (VITTORIO Test) for functional fitness assessment in rehabilitation after cardiac surgery].

An adequate assessment of physical function (PF) in Cardiac Rehabilitation (CR) plays a central role in early detection of physical limitations. Traditionally exercise tolerance has been used as an indicator of overall PF. However exercise tolerance has been shown to poorly predict patients' ability to perform daily-life activities.

[Can anxiety and depression influence the six-minute walking test performance in post-surgical heart valve patients? A pilot study].

Unlabelled: Various functional indicators are utilized to measure outcome in cardiac rehabilitation. Little information exists regarding the role played by psychological variables during the rehabilitative period, after cardiac valve surgery. The present study aims at exploring the relationship existing between different levels of functional capacity measured by six-minute walking test, (6MWT) and emotional aspects such as anxiety and depression.