Prehabilitation versus no prehabilitation to improve functional capacity, reduce postoperative complications and improve quality of life in colorectal cancer surgery (Cochrane review) [with consumer summary]

BACKGROUND: Surgery is the cornerstone in curative treatment of colorectal cancer. Unfortunately, surgery itself can adversely affect patient health. ‘Enhanced Recovery After Surgery’ programmes, which include multimodal interventions, have improved patient outcomes substantially. However, these are mainly applied peri- and postoperatively. Multimodal prehabilitation includes multiple preoperative interventions to prepare patients for surgery with the aim of increasing resilience, thereby improving …

Read more

Presurgery exercise-based conditioning interventions (prehabilitation) in adults undergoing lower limb surgery for peripheral arterial disease (Cochrane review) [with consumer summary]

BACKGROUND: Lower limb peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a type of cardiovascular disease where the blood vessels that carry the blood to the legs are hardened and narrowed. The most severe manifestation of PAD is critical limb ischaemia (CLI). This condition results in symptoms of intractable rest pain, non-healing wounds and ulceration, gangrene or both. PAD affects more than 200 …

Read more

Physical prehabilitation for older patients with cancer before complex medical-surgical interventions: an umbrella review

Prehabilitation has become a field of increasing interest over recent decades. However, few studies specifically investigated prehabilitation for older patients with cancer. The objective of this umbrella review was to summarize evidence on prehabilitation programs to identify the physical interventions that may be applied with benefit to older cancer patients who will undergo complex medical-surgical procedures. The protocol was registered …

Read more

Effects of prehabilitation concurrent exercise on functional capacity in colorectal cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE: Our aim was to examine the efficacy of concurrent exercise (ie, aerobic and strength exercise) during prehabilitation programs on functional capacity in comparison with standard cancer care strategies in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients scheduled for surgery. METHODS: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials was performed. A search of electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, and EBSCO Host) was …

Read more

Exploring prehabilitation interventions for patients with gynaecological cancer undergoing radiotherapy: a scoping review

PURPOSE: Radiotherapy imposes a significant physiological and psychological burden on gynaecological cancer patients. Prehabilitation is being increasingly used to prepare individuals for cancer treatment and improve their well-being and resilience. Whilst prehabilitation has demonstrated benefit for individuals undergoing cancer surgery, the structure, role and implementation of prehabilitation prior to radiotherapy are poorly defined and relatively unexplored. This scoping review aims …

Read more