Despite advances in surgical care, the incidence of postoperative complications and prolonged recovery following colorectal surgery remains high. Efforts to improve the recovery process have primarily focused on the intraoperative (eg, minimally invasive surgery, afferent neural blockade) and post-operative periods (eg, "fast track" early nutrition and mobilization. The pre-operative period may in fact be a better time to intervene in the factors that contribute to recovery. The process of enhancing functional capacity of the individual in anticipation of an upcoming stressor has been termed "prehabilitation". Based on the notion that preoperative exercise would have an impact on recovery of functional capacity after colorectal surgery, our group recently conducted a randomized controlled trial. Subgroup analysis identified that patients whose functional exercise capacity improved preoperatively, regardless of exercise technique, recovered well in the postoperative period. However, one-third of patients deteriorated preoperatively despite the exercise regimen, and these patients were also at greater risk for prolonged recovery after surgery. These results suggested that exercise alone is not sufficient to attenuate the stress response in all patients. In the present trial, the impact of a multimodal prehabilitation intervention composed of exercise, nutritional supplement and psychological well-being begun in the preoperative period will be compared to one begun in the postoperative period.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
89
multimodal prehabilitation program based on exercise, supplemental nutrition and psychological support starting 3-5 weeks before surgery and continuing postoperative for up to 8 weeks
multimodal prehabilitation program based on exercise, supplemental nutrition and psychological support beginning postoperative and continuing for up to 8 weeks
McGill University Health Centre
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
six minute walk test
6 MWT is a patient-relevant measure of functional walking capacity, reflective of the activities of daily living. Subjects are instructed to walk back and forth, in a 20 m stretch of hallway, for six minutes, at a pace that would make them tired by the end of the walk. The distance in meters is recorded. Reference equations are available for calculating percent of age- and gender-specific norms.
Time frame: baseline, preop, 4 weeks, 8weeks postop
Health-related quality of life
The SF-36 is the most widely used HRQL measure and has been validated for surgical population; Canadian norms are also available. It incorporates behavioural functioning, subjective well-being and perceptions of health by assessing, on a 0 to 100 scale, eight health concepts.
Time frame: baseline, preop, 4 weeks, 8 weeks
physical activity level
Physical activity level will be measured through the Community Health Activities Model Program for Seniors (CHAMPS) questionnaire. CHAMPS is a self-reported measure of physical activity, comprising 41 activities evaluated according to the total number of hours done during an average week. Each physical activity is assigned a MET (metabolic equivalent) value yielding average weekly caloric expenditure for the listed physical activities
Time frame: baseline, preop, 4 weeks, 8 weeks
Depression and anxiety
Depression and anxiety will be assessed by The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), a 14-question measure with seven items each for depression and anxiety. HADS generates separate scores for anxiety and depression as well as a combined score of psychological distress.
Time frame: baseline, preop, 4 weeks, 8 weeks
nutritional status
Nutritional status will be assessed at baseline by measuring body mass index (BMI), body weight loss over the preceding three months (\> 10% ), and/or serum albumin \< 35 g -1 will define poor nutritional status.
Time frame: baseline, preop, 4 weeks, 8 weeks
postoperative complications
Classified by Clavien Scale
Time frame: 4 weeks
Fatigue
Fatugue Index
Time frame: baseline, preop, 4 wks, 8 wks
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