Positive experiences with the use of an eHealth smartphone application during the treatment of an abdominal aortic aneurysm.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the patient perceived satisfaction and feasibility of a personalized eHealth application (app) for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) patients undergoing surgery. METHODS: Patients were offered to download the app prior to undergoing AAA surgery, in a prospective single centre cohort study, using a mixed methods sequential explanatory design. It offers information via the timely delivery of push notifications with text, images, and videos. The information includes chapters regarding the AAA, surgical techniques (endovascular aneurysm repair and open surgical repair), and perioperative lifestyle advice such as; physical exercise programmes, healthy and protein rich diet, geriatric care, and to stop smoking or drinking alcohol. RESULTS: The app was installed by 59/65 patients (91%). After installation, six patients deactivated the app (10%). The mean age was 74 years (SD = 7) and 85% of patients were male. The app was opened a median of 67 times (interquartile range [IQR] 33-127) and with a median time interval of 50 hours (IQR 28-74). Overall, 90% (53/59) completed a satisfaction questionnaire. On a numeric rating scale from 0 to 10, the median scored satisfaction for guidance was 8 (IQR 6-8), provided information was 8 (IQR 6-8), usefulness was 7 (IQR 6-8.5), and for recommending it to others 8 (IQR 6-9). Using purposeful sampling, seven patients underwent a semi-structured interview on user-experience of the app. They described experiencing positive changes to lifestyle habits, and appreciating the ability to share it with loved ones or informal caregivers. Several areas of improvement were reported. CONCLUSION: The personalized eHealth app is feasible in older AAA patients and valued as a useful supplement to the standard of care. We argue that the app aids in managing a prehabilitation programme, aids in the digital transformation of healthcare, and thereby decreases the workload of hospital staff.

Optimizing Rehabilitation for Nerve Gap Repair: Evidence-Based Recommendations.

Peripheral nerve surgeries are a complex undertaking that require a multifaceted team approach. For optimal outcomes, early involvement of therapy, planning with the surgical team, and communication with the patient are crucial. This facilitates compliance and is an integral component of the recovery process after these large procedures.

Nutritional intervention during a teleprehabilitation pilot study in high-risk patients with colorectal cancer: adherence, motivators, and barriers.

PURPOSE: The preoperative period provides a window of opportunity to improve modifiable risk factors for treatment complications such as malnutrition, the so-called prehabilitation. Identifying factors related to adherence to nutritional interventions is essential for optimizing prehabilitation programs. The aim of this study is to evaluate a nutritional support module as part of a teleprehabilitation program in high-risk patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS: A secondary analysis with a mixed method design of the nutritional support module of a pre-post teleprehabilitation pilot study was performed. Change in weight, complaints with intake, motivation, and subjective and objective adherence were evaluated. RESULTS: Eleven patients were included. Subjectively, six patients (55%) were able to adhere to the nutritional advice. Despite that, nine of eleven (82%) patients experienced difficulties with the amount of food that was advised by the dietician. Six of eleven (55%) patients gained weight during the prehabilitation program. After prehabilitation, nine of eleven (82%) were able to reach 100% of their energy requirement and six of eleven (55%) were able to reach 100% of their protein requirement. Differences between patients in motivation and/or having complaints did not seem to be associated with protein and energy intake. CONCLUSION: This secondary analysis of a pilot study provides insights into understanding patients' experiences with a nutritional support module as part of a teleprehabilitation program. With 82% of patients who were able to reach 100% of their energy requirement, teleprehabilitation seems to be feasible, while there is still room for improvement with respect to protein intake as only 55% of patients reached a sufficient intake.

Impact of Prehabilitation With Preoperative Swallowing Exercises on Postoperative Swallowing Morbidity in Oral Cavity Cancer: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background and Objective: Oral cancer surgery and the associated reconstructive procedures cause mechanical and neurological impairment of swallowing. Despite postoperative rehabilitation, functional impairment of swallowing remains a concern. This study is to investigate the potential benefits of prehabilitation with preoperative swallowing exercises to patients undergoing composite resections and compartmental tongue resections so that it results in better swallowing outcomes and improved quality of life after surgery. Materials and Methods: Sixty patients included in the study were randomized into an exercise and control group of 30 each. Patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity undergoing composite resection or compartmental tongue resections were included, and patients with severe trismus at presentation were excluded. Patients in the exercise group were instructed on a set of six active exercises to be followed strictly for a period of at least 1 week before surgery. Preoperative swallowing exercises comprised of evidence-based exercises targeting the muscle groups involved in swallowing. Postoperative swallowing rehabilitation was the same as that of the control group. Patients were assessed after 6 months of surgery. Outcomes were assessed both subjectively and objectively. Objective assessment was done by inexpensive, novel clinical methods of repetitive saliva swallow test (RSST), water swallow test (WST) and food swallow test (FST) to and graded using dysphagia severity scale (1-7). Results: Average oral intake scale (1-Oral solids, 2-Oral semisolids/easy to chew foods, 3-Oral liquids only and 4-Non-oral, orogastric tube dependent) assessed subjectively was significantly lower in exercise arm, and the control arm had a significantly higher OIS score. Exercise arm had higher number of patients in DSS scores of 5, 6 and 7. The control arm had a higher number of patients in DSS scores of 3 and 4. The differences between the two groups were found to be statistically significant taking into consideration the confounding factors of radiation, wound morbidity and tongue resections. Conclusion: Preoperative swallowing exercises have shown a positive impact on postoperative swallowing ability. This is the first randomized trial to assess the effect of PSE in postoperative oral cancer patients. Our exercise protocol needs standardization, and clinical objective method of dysphagia assessment requires further validation. However, prehabilitation with PSE has the potential to improve the quality of life in oral cancer patients.

An integrated framework for the study of exercise across the postdiagnosis cancer continuum.

Exercise plays many important roles across the entire cancer continuum that have been described in previous frameworks. These frameworks, however, have generally provided a simplified description of the roles of exercise postdiagnosis. The modern cancer treatment landscape has become complex and often consists of multiple lines of multimodal treatments combined concurrently and/or sequentially and delivered over many months or years. This complexity requires a more multifaceted and targeted approach to the study of exercise after a cancer diagnosis. Here, we propose a new integrated framework-Exercise Across the Postdiagnosis Cancer Continuum (EPiCC)-that highlights the distinct roles of exercise for disease treatment and supportive care from diagnosis until death. We also propose new terminology to clarify the distinct roles of exercise that emerge in the context of the modern cancer treatment landscape. The EPiCC Framework is structured around multiple sequential cancer treatments that highlight six distinct cancer treatment-related time periods for exercise-before treatments, during treatments, between treatments, immediately after successful treatments, during longer term survivorship after successful treatments, and during end of life after unsuccessful treatments. The EPiCC Framework proposes that the specific roles of exercise as a disease treatment and supportive care intervention will vary depending on its positioning within different cancer treatment combinations. As a cancer treatment, exercise may serve as a "priming therapy", primary therapy, neoadjuvant therapy, induction therapy, "bridging therapy", adjuvant therapy, consolidation therapy, maintenance therapy, and/or salvage therapy. As a supportive care intervention, exercise may serve as prehabilitation, intrahabilitation, interhabilitation, rehabilitation, "perihabilitation", health promotion/disease prevention, and/or palliation. To date, exercise has been studied during all of the cancer treatment-related time periods but only in relation to some cancer treatments and combinations. Moreover, fewer studies have examined exercise across multiple cancer treatment-related time periods within any cancer treatment combination. Future research is needed to study exercise as a disease treatment and supportive care intervention within and across the distinct cancer treatment-related time periods contained within different cancer treatment combinations. The aim of the EPiCC Framework is to stimulate a more targeted, integrated, and clinically-informed approach to the study of exercise after a cancer diagnosis.

The role of prehabilitation in reducing the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications in patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery: Results from the Pre Surgery Check Team study.

BACKGROUND: Despite its importance, prehabilitation, has only been implemented in very few cardiac surgery centers. AIMS: The Pre Surgery Check Team study was designed to evaluate the impact of comprehensive interdisciplinary assessment and implementation of the prehabilitation program on the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications after elective cardiac surgery. METHODS: 725 adult patients (338 in the study group, 387 in the control group) were included in this single-center, prospective, observational study. Multimodal prehabilitation consisted of four elements: interdisciplinary medical assessment by cardiologist, anesthesiologist and cardiac surgeon, pulmonary assessment for patients at high risk of postoperative pulmonary complications, psychological assessment, and physiotherapeutic assessment and training. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of the postoperative pulmonary complications, and the secondary outcomes were: surgical site infection, rethoracotomy, ICU length of stay and hospital length of stay. RESULTS: Prehabilitation reduced the number of postoperative complications by 23%. Postoperative pneumonia was almost 3 times less common (5.33% vs 14.21%), and the surgical site infection - 1.4 times less common in the PreScheck group (8.28 vs 11.37%). In the logistic regression model, prehabilitation reduced the odds of postoperative pneumonia (by 0.346) and the odds of respiratory failure (by 0.479). Prehabilitation had no direct effect on ICU length of stay. CONCLUSIONS: Prehabilitation according to the Pre Surgery Check Team standard reduces the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications and the total number of postoperative complications in patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery. The main benefit of attending the PreScheck Team visit is the opportunity to perform supportive preoperative interventions.

Real-life effectiveness of prehabilitation to improve postoperative outcomes in patients with colorectal cancer approaching surgery: A systematic review and meta-analyses of observational studies versus randomized controlled trials.

INTRODUCTION: Current evidence synthesis of prehabilitation studies in colorectal surgery is based on results of randomized controlled trials (RCT). Although RCTs are the gold standard for effectiveness research, observational studies probably better reflect real-life practice. The aims of the current study were to compare observational studies to RCTs regarding the association between prehabilitation and postoperative outcomes, and characteristics of included patients and interventions. METHODS: A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, and CINAHL (until September 2023). Observational studies and RCTs investigating prehabilitation before colorectal surgery and reporting postoperative complications and/or length of stay (LoS) were included. Two reviewers independently assessed the risk of bias using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool for RCTs and the Cochrane ROBINS-I tool for observational studies. Meta(regression)-analyses were performed for postoperative complications and LoS. RESULTS: Pooled results showed a statistically significant reduction in postoperative complications (OR 0.54; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.40 to 0.72) and LoS (mean difference (MD) -1.34 CI -2.57 to -0.12) after prehabilitation in observational studies but not in RCTs (complications OR 0.95; CI 0.53 to 1.72; LoS MD 0.16 CI -0.52 to 0.83). Patients included in observational studies were older and more often had an ASA score ≥3. In a meta-regression analysis, these characteristics were not statistically significantly associated with the main outcomes. CONCLUSION: Observational studies in a real-life setting showed that prehabilitation can reduce postoperative complications and LoS. To further explore the real-life effectiveness of prehabilitation, specific observational study designs, like a target emulation trial could be used.

GLP-1 receptor agonists are a transformative prehabilitation tool for weight loss in obese patients undergoing elective hernia repair.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is an independent risk factor for complications after abdominal hernia repair. Glucagon-like-peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists are gaining popularity as pharmacologic weight loss adjuncts and may help patients reach weight loss goals for surgery. We examine our early experience utilizing GLP-1 agonists versus lifestyle modifications alone to achieve weight loss in patients before elective hernia repair. METHODS: This single-center, retrospective review identified obese patients who underwent elective hernia repair from 2014 to 2023. Patients were asked to achieve a BMI ≤ 33 kg/m2 before surgery. Patients who lost weight with GLP-1 therapy in addition to lifestyle changes were compared to a control cohort that achieved similar preoperative weight loss without GLP-1 therapy. Primary outcome was mean time from GLP-1 agonist initiation and initial surgery clinic visit to surgery. Secondary outcomes were 30-day morbidity, mortality, and reoperation rates, and hernia recurrence. RESULTS: Forty-six patients with ventral/incisional, flank, umbilical, parastomal, inguinal, and hiatal hernias were identified (GLP-1 N = 24, control N = 22). 81.8% (N = 18) of controls had a ventral/incisional hernia, compared to 45.8% (N = 11) of GLP-1 patients (p = 0.03). Mean BMI at GLP-1 agonist initiation was similar to mean BMI at initial clinic visit for controls (38.1 ± 4.9 vs 38.2 ± 2.7 kg/m2, p = 0.66). Preoperative mean percentage total weight loss (14.9 ± 7.5 vs 12.4 ± 6.9 kg, p = 0.39) and mean BMI reduction (6.0 ± 3.8 vs 4.9 ± 2.3 kg/m2, p = 0.43) were similar between groups. The mean time from GLP-1 agonist initiation to surgery was significantly shorter than initial clinic visit to surgery for controls (6.3 ± 4.0 vs 14.7 ± 17.6 months, p = 0.03). There was no statistically significant difference in time from initial clinic visit to surgery between groups (7.6 ± 4.4 vs 14.7 ± 17.6 months, p = 0.06). There was no significant difference in 30-day morbidity between groups (8.3 vs 27.3%, p = 0.13). CONCLUSION: GLP-1 agonists accelerate preoperative weight loss for obese hernia patients without negatively impacting postoperative outcomes.

Your preoperative rehabilitation assistant: A study protocol for the impact of a telemedicine-supported preoperative home rehabilitation program on the prognosis of patients undergoing thoracoscopic surgery.

Background: Reduced cardiorespiratory fitness levels are associated with increased short-term complications after surgery, and potentially exert long-lasting effects on the postoperative lives, work and educational pursuits of patients. Currently, research suggests that lifestyle interventions, such as preoperative physical exercise undertaken by patients themselves, may improve patients' cardiopulmonary fitness and reduce post-operative complications. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness and feasibility of a remote medical supervision model for prehabilitation exercise in patients undergoing thoracoscopic lung tumour resection surgery. Methods/Design: All enrolled patients will participate in a 4-week pre-operative exercise intervention to improve their cardiorespiratory fitness. During this period, patients will wear wearable devices and exercise at home based on exercise prescriptions. The exercise prescription comprises aerobic exercise (three times a week or more), muscle strengthening exercise (twice a week or more), and respiratory muscle exercise (once a day). The primary aim is to investigate whether baseline VO2max could be improved following a 4-week preoperative exercise program. Secondary objectives include changes in forced expiratory volume in 1 s and forced vital capacity, degree of acceptance of the technology, quality of life, handgrip strength, postoperative complication rate and length of hospital stay. Discussion: This study aims to evaluate the influence of preoperative prehabilitation exercises in a telemedicine active supervision mode in patients undergoing thoracoscopic lung tumour resection. As such, results of this trial might have some impact on future implementations of group- and home-based prehabilitation exercises in lung cancers. Trial registration: This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology (approval number: TJ-IRB20220564) with registration at ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier: NCT05608759).

A Three-Day Prehabilitation Program is Cost-Effective for Preventing Pulmonary Complications after Heart Valve Surgery: A Health Economic Analysis of a Randomized Trial.

Background: While prehabilitation (pre surgical exercise) effectively prevents postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs), its cost-effectiveness in valve heart disease (VHD) remains unexplored. This study aims to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a three-day prehabilitation program for reducing PPCs and improving quality adjusted life years (QALYs) in Chinese VHD patients. Methods: A cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted alongside a randomized controlled trial featuring concealed allocation, blinded evaluators, and an intention-to-treat analysis. In total, 165 patients scheduled for elective heart valve surgery at West China Hospital were randomized into intervention and control groups. The intervention group participated in a three-day prehabilitation exercise program supervised by a physiotherapist while the control group received only standard preoperative education. Postoperative hospital costs were audited through the Hospital Information System, and the EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire was used to provide a 12-month estimation of QALY. Cost and effect differences were calculated through the bootstrapping method, with results presented in cost-effectiveness planes, alongside the associated cost-effectiveness acceptability curve (CEAC). All costs were denominated in Chinese Yuan (CNY) at an average exchange rate of 6.73 CNY per US dollar in 2022. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in postoperative hospital costs (8484 versus 9615 CNY, 95% CI -2403 to 140) or in the estimated QALYs (0.909 versus 0.898, 95% CI -0.013 to 0.034) between the intervention and control groups. However, costs for antibiotics (339 versus 667 CNY, 95% CI -605 to -51), nursing (1021 versus 1200 CNY, 95% CI -330 to -28), and electrocardiograph monitoring (685 versus 929 CNY, 95% CI -421 to -67) were significantly lower in the intervention group than in the control group. The CEAC indicated that the prehabilitation program has a 92.6% and 93% probability of being cost-effective in preventing PPCs and improving QALYs without incurring additional costs. Conclusions: While the three-day prehabilitation program did not significantly improve health-related quality of life, it led to a reduction in postoperative hospital resource utilization. Furthermore, it showed a high probability of being cost-effective in both preventing PPCs and improving QALYs in Chinese patients undergoing valve surgery. Clinical Registration Number: This trial is registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (URL: https://www.chictr.org.cn/) with the registration identifier ChiCTR2000039671.

Preoperative very low-energy diets for obese patients undergoing intra-abdominal colorectal surgery: a retrospective cohort study (RetroPREPARE).

BACKGROUND: Very low-energy diets (VLEDs) prescribed prior to bariatric surgery have been associated with decreased operative time, technical difficulty, and postoperative morbidity. To date, limited data are available regarding the impact of VLEDs prior to colorectal surgery. We designed this study to determine whether preoperative VLEDs benefit patients with obesity undergoing colorectal surgery. METHODS: This is a single-center retrospective cohort study. Individuals undergoing elective colorectal surgery with a body mass index (BMI) of greater than 30 kg/m2 from 2015 to 2022 were included. The exposure of interest was VLEDs for 2-4 weeks immediately prior to surgery. The control group consisted of patients prior to January 2018 who did not receive preoperative VLED. The primary outcome was 30 day postoperative morbidity. Multivariable logistic regression modeling was used to determine associations with 30 day postoperative morbidity. RESULTS: Overall, 190 patients were included, 89 patients received VLEDs (median age: 66 years; median BMI: 35.9 kg/m2; 48.3% female) and 101 patients did not receive VLEDs (median age: 68 years; median BMI: 32.1 kg/m2; 44.6% female). One-hundred four (54.7%) patients experienced 30 day postoperative morbidity. Multivariable regression analysis identified three variables associated with postoperative morbidity: VLEDs [odds ratio (OR) 0.22, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.08-0.61, P < 0.01], Charlson comorbidity index (OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.03-1.52, P = 0.02), and rectal dissections (OR 2.71, 95% CI 1.30-5.65, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The use of a preoperative VLED was associated with a significant reduction in postoperative morbidity in patients with obesity prior to colorectal surgery. A high-quality randomized controlled trial is required to confirm these findings.

The Geriatric Patient: Frailty, Prehabilitation, and Postoperative Delirium.

Historically and for ease of classification, the geriatric patient has received a chronologic definition of a person 65 years and older. Chronologic age remains an independent risk of postoperative complications and adverse surgical outcomes. Frailty is an expression of an individual's biological age and as such a more reliable determination of their vulnerabilities or resilience to stress. The concept of prehabilitation has shown promise as a proactive approach to optimize a patient's functional, cognitive, nutritional, and emotional in preparation for surgical interventions. Postoperative delirium is the most common neuropsychological complication after surgery.

[Modern approaches and technologies to prevent anastomotic leakage in the gastrointestinal tract]. / Moderne Ansätze und Technologien zur Verhinderung der Anastomoseninsuffizienz am Gastrointestinaltrakt.

The healing of gastrointestinal anastomoses is a complex biological process influenced by numerous factors. Various strategies to support healing and prevent anastomotic leakage (AL) exist, encompassing preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative measures. Preoperative interventions aim to optimize the patient and the tissue environment, particularly the gut microbiome. Intraoperative measures are technical in nature and include the choice of surgical access, the anastomotic technique and anastomotic reinforcement. Various procedures of the intraoperative diagnostics enable identification of such anastomoses requiring additional protective measures. Recently, indocyanine green (ICG) fluoroscopy has become established for evaluation of tissue perfusion, while newer techniques such as spectral microscopy offer promising possibilities. Postoperative diagnostic methods aim to identify potential AL as early as possible to enable initiation of therapeutic steps even before the onset of symptoms. These procedures range from various imaging techniques to innovative bioresorbable, pH-sensitive implants for early AL detection. Due to the multifactorial genesis of AL and the diverse technical possibilities, no single method will become established for prevention of AL. Instead, a combination of measures will ultimately lead to optimal anastomotic healing. The use of artificial intelligence and analyses based on the data promises a better interpretation of the vast amount of data and therefore to be able to provide general recommendations.

Effect of prehabilitation exercises on postoperative frailty in patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery.

Background: To improve perioperative frailty status in patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery (LCCS), we explored a new intensive prehabilitation program that combines prehabilitation exercises with standard enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) and explored its impact. Methods: We conducted a prospective randomized controlled trial. Between April 2021 to August 2021, patients undergoing elective LCCS were randomized into the standardized ERAS (S-ERAS) group or ERAS based on prehabilitation (group PR-ERAS). Patients in the PR-ERAS group undergoing prehabilitation exercises in the perioperative period in addition to standard enhanced recovery after surgery. We explored the effects of this prehabilitation protocol on frailty, short-term quality of recovery (QoR), psychological status, postoperative functional capacity, postoperative outcomes, and pain. Results: In total, 125 patients were evaluated, and 95 eligible patients were enrolled and randomly allocated to the S-ERAS (n = 45) and PR-ERAS (n = 50) groups. The Fried score was higher in the PR-ERAS group on postoperative day (7 (2(2,3) vs. 3(2,4), P = 0.012). The QoR-9 was higher in the PR-ERAS group than in the S-ERAS group on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 7th postoperative days. The PR-ERAS group had an earlier time to first ambulation (P < 0.050) and time to first flatus (P < 0.050). Conclusion: Prehabilitation exercises can improve postoperative frailty and accelerate recovery in patients undergoing LCCS but may not improve surgical safety. Therefore, better and more targeted prehabilitation recovery protocols should be explored. Clinical trial registration: www.clinicaltrials.org , identifier NCT04964856.

The effects of exercise-based prehabilitation in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting surgery: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative exercise-based rehabilitation improves the physical performance and health-related outcomes of patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). However, the effectiveness of exercise-based prehabilitation in patients undergoing CABG remains unknown. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this systematic review was to investigate the effects of exercise-based prehabilitation on functional exercise capacity, postoperative complications, anxiety, depression, self-efficacy, quality of life, length of hospital and intensive care unit stay, frailty, and endothelial function in patients undergoing CABG surgery. METHODS: This systematic review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The study protocol is recorded in the PROSPERO database (registration number CRD42023488530). PubMed, the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), Google Scholar, Web of Science, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library were searched from inception to December 2023. The titles and abstracts of the studies were screened using Rayyan Ai software. After full-text screening, randomized controlled trials that met the inclusion criteria were included. RESULTS: Five randomized controlled trials involving 616 participants were included. The systematic review suggests strong evidence that exercise-based prehabilitation improved functional capacity and moderate evidence that it reduced postoperative complications and length of hospital stay. Although there was conflicting evidence regarding the effects of exercise-based prehabilitation on quality of life, there was limited evidence of its effects on physical activity, anxiety, depression, self-efficacy, frailty, and endothelial function. CONCLUSIONS: Exercise-based prehabilitation can be recommended for improvements in functional capacity, postoperative complications, and length of hospital stay in patients undergoing CABG.

Prehabilitation to Enhance Vascular Surgery Outcomes: A Narrative Review.

Prehabilitation, an emerging strategy, prepares patients for elective surgery by encouraging healthy behaviors, including physical exercise and healthy nutrition, while providing psychological support, to improve postoperative outcomes and foster healthier lifestyles. Despite growing interest, there is little research on prehabilitation. Specifically, studies involving prehabilitation in vascular surgery are heterogeneous with small sample sizes. This review aimed to investigate the reported positive impact of prehabilitation on vascular surgery patients, discuss prehabilitation models, highlight prehabilitation program-associated challenges, and suggest appropriate interventions. Prehabilitation improves physical fitness, reduces postoperative complications, and enhances overall recovery. Multimodal prehabilitation programs can positively impact vascular surgery patients, with benefits including improved cardiovascular fitness, reduced postoperative complications, shorter postoperative hospital stays, enhanced overall recovery, and improved quality of life. The currently reported prehabilitation programs are heterogeneous, with limitations regarding patient adherence and lack of long-term outcomes, posing challenges to their widespread adoption. Overall, prehabilitation shows promise for improving vascular surgery outcomes and fostering long-term healthy behaviors. The systematic implementation of prehabilitation in vascular surgery care pathways, overcoming reported limitations, and integrating multimodal prehabilitation into routine preoperative care hold potential benefits. This review underscores the need for high-quality research to establish best practices in prehabilitation and integrate them into the standard of care for vascular surgery patients.

A case report of cardiopulmonary exercise testing and incentive spirometry-guided breathing pattern alteration for a severely tachypnoeic kyphoscoliotic patient undergoing major thoracic surgery for suspected lung malignancy.

A case report of a severely dyspnoeic kyphoscoliotic patient intended for an elective major thoracic surgery for suspected lung malignancy. With baseline near maximal breathing frequency and shallow breaths and poor lung mechanics, the first encountered anaesthetist considered this patient too high risk for lobectomy. This case illustrated the application of cardiopulmonary exercise testing to provide an objective assessment of the patient's functional capacity, ventilatory efficiency and delineation of modifiable respiratory components that guide the formulation of individualized prehabilitation programme. It also depicted the perioperative role of an off-label use of incentive spirometry in providing visual feedbacks and led to subsequent assessment breathing pattern alternation. Patient underwent the lung resection uneventfully and returned to normal lifestyle on postoperative day 4.

Prehab, ERAS, Rehab: A patient care continuum around colo-rectal surgery: Prehabilitation combined with ERAS and rehabilitation to reduce morbidity and hospital stay.

BACKGROUND: Prehabilitation (Prehab) programs aim to optimize patients psycho-physical condition before surgery, to improve post-operative outcomes. Although functional benefits of Prehab are known, the clinical impact does not yet have concrete evidence. The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of Prehab, associated with Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) and surgical rehabilitation (Rehab), in frail colorectal oncological patients in terms of morbidity and hospitalization. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The cohort of patients undergoing Prehab between January 2020 and December 2022 (Prehab group) is compared with the historical cohort of patients operated on in the period 01/2018-12/2019, not undergoing Prehab (no-Prehab group). Prehab scheme: multimodal (physiotherapy, clinical nutrition and psychological support). All patients followed an ERAS path. Only Prehab patients followed a surgical Rehab by a dedicated nurse case-manager. Propensity score matching (PSM) and weighting (PSW) analyses were used for statistical analysis. PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: complications at 30 days and hospital stay. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: functional outcomes. RESULTS: In 3 years of preliminary enrollment, 36 patients completed the program: 22 in person, 16 in tele-prehab. The Prehab group experienced fewer complications than the no-Prehab group (PSM: 31 % vs 53 % p = 0.02; PSW: 31 % vs 51 % p = 0.02), less severe complications (CCI>20 PSM: 17 % vs 33 % p = 0.074; PSW: 17 % vs 53 % 0.026) and shorter hospital stay (4.5 vs 6 days; p = 0.02). Finally, prehabilitated patients improved their preoperative functional capacity and reduced anxiety levels. CONCLUSION: The strategy of combining Prehab with ERAS and Rehab has positively influenced post-operative clinical outcomes as well as functional parameters in our series.

Preoperative nutritional support to tackle morbidity in multivisceral resection for retroperitoneal sarcoma. Early outcomes from a novel nutritional prehabilitation program in a prospective cohort.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the feasibility and outcomes of the implementation of a routinely prehabilitation nutritional program (PNP) in retroperitoneal sarcoma (RPS) patients. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Rate of preoperative malnutrition is scarcely evaluated in RPS patients and the efficacy of a PNP in detecting and reverting malnutrition has not been studied. METHODS: Prospective study in a high-volume reference center for RPS; adult patients with primary or persistent RPS deemed surgically resectable were enrolled in a PNP. RESULTS: 119 patients underwent surgery for RPS at Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori in Milan, 73 (61.3 %) were enrolled in the PNP while the remaining served as control cohort. 43.8 % (32/73), 28.8 % (21/73), and 27.4 % (20/73) were classified as non-malnourished, moderately malnourished, and severely malnourished at diagnosis, respectively. Preoperative nutritional support was provided to 35 out of 73 patients (47.9 %). Among untreated patients 20 of 38 (52.6 %) experienced a preoperative worsening of their nutritional status, whereas among those in the prehabilitation program 16 of 35 (45.7 %) showed improvement. Surgical complications did not significantly differ between malnourished and non-malnourished patients, potentially due to increased use of diverting stomas in malnourished patients to prevent infectious complications. Reversal of initial malnutrition correlated with better postoperative outcomes, as evidenced by lower rates of severe complications (OR: 0.18, 95%CI 0.04-0.75, p = 0.02) and a lower Comprehensive Complication Index (OR: -0.28, 95%CI -0.51 to -0.06, p = 0.02) in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of a prehabilitation nutritional program brought relevant benefits in terms of postoperative morbidity.