Effects of Prehabilitation on Inpatient Step Counts After Major Abdominal Surgery for Gastrointestinal Cancer
Year: 2020
Type: dissertation
Abstract: While prehabilitation and early postoperative mobilisation have demonstrated improvements in surgical recovery in oncologic populations, the effects of prehabilitation on early ambulation remain poorly understood. This thesis examined the effects of prehabilitation on inpatient steps following major abdominal surgery for gastrointestinal cancer within a larger trial. Participants (n=20) were randomized to usual care (UC; n=13) or prehabilitation (PREHAB; n=7) consisting of exercise and mindful relaxation. Fitbits were used to collect inpatient steps. After adjustment for preoperative steps, the estimated mean group difference in average daily steps was 291 steps with results suggestive of a small to moderate effect in favour of prehabilitation. The trajectory in inpatient steps and steps at discharge were comparable between groups. Further analyses revealed a moderate positive correlation (r=0.50) between preoperative functional capacity and average inpatient steps. Larger studies are required to ascertain if prehabilitation can enhance early postoperative mobilisation and the clinical implications of such.
Source: TSpace (University of Toronto)
Author: Rachel Joy Aitken
Language: English
Subfield: Surgery
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3158858202