[Sanatorium stage in the rehabilitation of patients with rheumatic defects after heart valve prosthesis].

In 93.2% of 104 patients treated at a cardiological sanatorium after heart valve prosthetics the condition had improved by the time of discharge and only in 2.9% (3 patients) it had grown worse. The measures of rehabilitation comprised curative, physical, and psychologic aspects. The improvement in the condition of patients who had been operated on was attested by the results of ECG, polycardiography, and external respiration tests. The increased tolerance to physical load and the improved ability for coping with the tasks of every-day life are also objective indicators of the effectiveness of the stage of sanatorium treatment in the general complex of rehabilitation of patients who had been subjected to heart valve prosthetics.