Specificity of testing in a cardiac rehabilitation setting resulting in a patient's return to high-intensity outdoor activity following aortic dissection repair.

A 66-year-old man who had undergone aortic dissection repair a year earlier sought to assess the feasibility of returning to the high-intensity outdoor activities he had long enjoyed. In response to his inquiry, the cardiac rehabilitation staff at Baylor Hamilton Heart and Vascular Hospital designed a comprehensive testing plan that simulated the specific movements and anticipated cardiac requirements associated with his goal activities. The activities included 1) lifting and manipulating a 50-pound suitcase, 2) hiking to the top of Half Dome in California's Yosemite National Park, and 3) scuba diving.