From Surgery to Strength: Tim’s Road to Recovery with UHS Cardiac Rehabilitation

For those who have experienced a cardiac emergency or struggle with a heart condition, the road to recovery and good health can be challenging. That’s where UHS Cardiac Rehabilitation can help. At UHS Binghamton General Hospital, this comprehensive, medically-supervised exercise and education program takes a comprehensive approach to rebuilding cardiovascular health and overall well-being. 

Tim Rathbun, of Vestal, NY, never imagined he would need cardiac rehab, even after several years of living with a heart condition that required him to receive a number of stents. That was until December 2024, when Mr. Rathbun underwent quadruple bypass surgery. He travelled to Cleveland, OH, for his open-heart procedure, and was released five days later. 

Even though his surgery went well, Mr. Rathbun remembers feeling uncertain in the early stages of his recovery. “I kept asking myself, ‘How am I supposed to feel after surgery?’ I had no way of knowing if how I was feeling was normal,” Mr. Rathbun said. 

His cardiologist, Owais Ahmed, MD, at UHS Heart & Vascular Institute Johnson City, referred him to UHS Cardiac Rehabilitation as part of his recovery plan. In January 2025, Mr. Rathbun had his initial consultation at the Binghamton location, where staff assessed his condition. He recalled how the staff asked him to walk around and timed his laps to gauge his physical condition. Mr. Rathbun described his walking at the time as “wobbly.” 

The cardiac rehab staff then worked with Mr. Rathbun to develop a personalized plan for his rehab, designed specifically to meet his needs and ensure the fullest possible recovery. 

With his plan in place, Mr. Rathbun began coming twice per week, completing an exercise regimen on a variety of machines including the step machine, arm crank, and treadmill. “They put me on the right machines for my health, and took the time and care to properly progress my routine until I was healthy again,” Mr. Rathbun shared. “The staff here are so encouraging, and they genuinely care.” 

Each session, patients receive a card outlining which machines to use, how long and at what intensity. Mr. Rathbun recalled taking pictures of these cards, and feeling encouraged by how the increasing time and intensity showed his progression. The staff also take a patient’s heart rate and pulse before, during, and after exercise, which Mr. Rathbun felt was incredibly beneficial for monitoring his progress. 

Over 18 weeks and 36 sessions, Mr. Rathbun steadily regained strength. Throughout the process, Dr. Ahmed received regular updates on Mr. Rathbun’s progress and by the end, cleared him to return to a “normal life,” with no restrictions on his level of activity. “Coming into cardiac rehab, I wanted to excel. After my surgery, I had been laid up – I couldn’t drive, I couldn’t be active. It’s such a relief to have those restrictions gone,” Mr. Rathbun shared. “I can breathe easily again because of what I learned here.” 

In addition to the improvements to his physical health, Mr. Rathbun also spoke highly of the social benefit of his regular cardiac rehab visits. Exercising alongside other patients who have been through similar experiences helped him feel less isolated in how he was feeling and built a strong sense of camaraderie. 

Despite the many benefits of cardiac rehabilitation to a patient’s recovery and overall health and well-being, many cardiac patients either don’t see the program to completion or decide to forego it altogether. For Mr. Rathbun, cardiac rehab made all the difference in his road to recovery. “Anyone who has a heart condition or has had a heart surgery and wants to get back to living productively, do this. Do it with gusto and enthusiasm. Tell yourself, ‘I’m going to ace this, I’m going to beat this,’” he shared. “I don’t know where I’d be if I hadn’t done cardiac rehab.” 

UHS is proud to offer Cardiac Rehabilitation services at UHS Binghamton General Hospital, UHS Delaware Valley Hospital in Walton, and UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital in Norwich. For more information about UHS Cardiac Rehabilitation, visit nyuhs.org.