The impact of prehabilitation on outcomes in frail and high-risk patients undergoing major abdominal surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Dominic O'Connor, Dhanny Gomez, Pavel Skořepa, Katherine L Ford, Dileep N Lobo, Carla M Prado, Abdulaziz Alsuwaylihi

Journal: Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland) 2024;43(3):629-648

PMID: 38306891

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Abstract

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Prehabilitation comprises multidisciplinary preoperative interventions including exercise, nutritional optimisation and psychological preparation aimed at improving surgical outcomes. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to determine the impact of prehabilitation on postoperative outcomes in frail and high-risk patients undergoing major abdominal surgery.

METHODS

Embase, Medline, CINAHAL and Cochrane databases were searched from January 2010 to January 2023 for randomised clinical trials (RCTs) and observational studies evaluating unimodal (exercise) or multimodal prehabilitation programmes. Meta-analysis was limited to length of stay (primary end point), severe postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo Classification ≥ Grade 3) and the 6-minute walk test (6MWT). The analysis was performed using RevMan v5.4 software.

RESULTS

Sixteen studies (6 RCTs, 10 observational) reporting on 3339 patients (1468 prehabilitation group, 1871 control group) were included. The median (interquartile range) age was 74.0 (71.0-78.4) years. Multimodal prehabilitation was applied in fifteen studies and unimodal in one. Meta-analysis of nine studies showed a reduction in hospital length of stay (weighted mean difference -1.07 days, 95 % CI -1.60 to -0.53 days, P < 0.0001, I = 19 %). Ten studies addressed severe complications and a meta-analysis suggested a decline in occurrence by up to 44 % (odds ratio 0.56, 95 % CI 0.37 to 0.82, P < 0.004, I = 51 %). Four studies provided data on preoperative 6MWT. The pooled weighted mean difference was 40.1 m (95 % CI 32.7 to 47.6 m, P < 0.00001, I = 24 %), favouring prehabilitation.

CONCLUSION

Given the significant impact on shortening length of stay and reducing severe complications, prehabilitation should be encouraged in frail, older and high-risk adult patients undergoing major abdominal surgery.

Address: Nottingham Digestive Diseases Centre, Division of Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK; National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham University Hospitals and University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK; Department of Military Internal Medicine and Military Hygiene, Faculty of Military Health Sciences, University of Defence, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic; 3rd Department of Internal Medicine-Metabolic Care and Gerontology, University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové, Charles University in Prague, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/PavelSkorepa.; Department of Agricultural, Food & Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada; Department of Kinesiology & Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/KathFord_RD.; Nottingham Digestive Diseases Centre, Division of Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK; National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham University Hospitals and University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK.; School of Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/Dom_OConnor1.; Department of Agricultural, Food & Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/DrCarlaPrado.; Nottingham Digestive Diseases Centre, Division of Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK.; Nottingham Digestive Diseases Centre, Division of Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK; National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham University Hospitals and University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK; MRC Versus Arthritis Centre for Musculoskeletal Ageing Research, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK; Division of Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].

DOI: 10.1016/j.clnu.2024.01.020

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MeSH Terms: Aged, Humans, Abdomen, Exercise, Frail Elderly, Postoperative Complications, Preoperative Exercise