[Physical and psychological future of patients with coronary disease. To whom should ambulatory rehabilitation be proposed? (author's transl)].

To ambulatory rehabilitation programme was proposed to 91 patients during their stay in hospital for myocardial infarction or aortocoronary bypass surgery. A retrospective study showed that 51 patients did follow the programme, whereas 40 patients preferred their own method of self-rehabilitation. Serial exercise tests demonstrated progressive and considerable improvement in physical aptitude among those who followed the programme, but the psychological, socio-familial and professional outcome was globally the same in both groups. The present study therefore confirms the numerous advantages of the rehabilitation programme but also shows that many of the potential candidates to such programmes are capable of returning by themselves to a normal and active life.