Throughout life, many people will have to undergo surgery to treat a health problem. The great advances in medicine in the last decade have led to highly complex surgeries being performed with great success.
Also, given the ageing of the population, many elderly patients have to undergo complex surgery. These people very often have serious illnesses that increase the risk of complications. However, advanced age is not a contraindication for any surgery, no matter how complex, but the physical condition of the patient is.
Any surgery puts a great deal of extra strain on the body which is why it is essential to be prepared for it. The better your physical condition at the time of surgery, the better you’ll recover from it. Adequate preoperative preparation can reduce the possibility of complications, as well as aiding and accelerating subsequent recovery. This is the principle behind prehabilitation.
The role of prehabilitation
The aim of prehabilitation is to improve the patient's overall physical condition before surgery. This provides for improved postoperative outcomes, such as reducing the occurrence of complications, the time spent in hospital and the use of healthcare resources after discharge.
Improvement in a person's physical abilities occurs after training and promoting physical activity, together with nutritional and psychological support, the correction of anaemia, a reduction in smoking and controlling existing chronic diseases. The features and length of this intervention are adapted to the habits, needs and possibilities of each patient.
Prehabilitation at the Clínic
In 2016, after 3 years research, the Hospital Clínic launched a prehabilitation programme for patients who are candidates for major surgery.
The intention of the programme is for patients to actively participate in their own surgical process by being committed to it and preparing themselves for it. In addition, we try to reinforce and consolidate healthy lifestyle habits, not only in preparation for surgery, but so they last over time. It is important to take advantage of this period of time, from diagnosis to surgery, to involve patients in their own healing process; as this is a time when patients are often extremely motivated to prepare themselves and acquire new habits.
The Prehabilitation Unit is led by specialists in anaesthesiology and includes a multidisciplinary team of physiotherapists, nutritionists, psychologists and nurses. The team coordinates its actions with the rest of the professionals involved in the surgical process.
Although individual care in the unit is aimed at high-risk patients, any patient undergoing surgery should prepare themselves: by staying physically active, following a healthy diet, avoiding alcohol, stopping smoking and trying to be positive and active about the healing process.
INFORMATION DOCUMENTED BY:
Prehabilitation Group, Hospital Clínic Barcelona.
