In-patient cardiac pre-hab program launched to keep heart-transplant candidates fit while awaiting surgery

Patients waiting in the hospital for a heart transplant often lose strength and can become ineligible for the procedure as their fitness declines.

To address this, Dr. Radha Gopalan at Banner‑University Medical Center Phoenix has introduced an inpatient cardiac pre‑habilitation program. The initiative targets transplant candidates who are hospitalized for worsening heart failure, arrhythmias, or coronary artery disease.

The program adapts elements of traditional cardiac rehab and outpatient prehab, providing supervised exercise and conditioning while patients remain in‑patient. Organizers hope it will preserve functional capacity, reduce disqualification rates, and improve outcomes after transplantation.