title: From left ventricular assist device to transplant to home: An interdisciplinary team approach to treating medically complex cardiac patients during the bridge to transplantation: A case report.
abstract: METHODS
  A 56-year-old man presented with advanced heart failure requiring implantation of a left ventricular assist device and was discharged home. after implantation He returned to the hospital with right posterior putamen stroke and after a comprehensive rehabilitation programme was discharged home with the ability to be independent. The patient later underwent heart transplantation and subsequently required readmission to inpatient rehabilitation. He again completed a comprehensive rehabilitation programme and returned home with the ability to be independent with use of a single-point cane for ambulation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with advanced heart failure present a challenge to the rehabilitation team, but with a multidisciplinary approach and physiatrist leadership patients can return home and achieve improved quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation Medicine, Memorial Rehabilitation Institute, 33021 Hollywood, USA. kefoster@mhs.net.
authors.forename: Keith J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.forename: Angelica
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cota
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cleves
mesh_terms: D006333:Heart Failure / Q000628:therapy*; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D016896:Treatment Outcome