Effect of a Post-operative Protocol of Early Mobilization on Functional Recovery and Postoperative Complications After Immediate Internal Pudendal Artery Perforator Flap Reconstruction for Irradiated Abdominoperineal Resection Defects: a Prospective, Randomized and Controlled Clinical Study.

Overview

Major abdominal oncology surgery is associated with substantial postoperative loss of functional capacity, and exercise may be an effective intervention to improve outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess efficacy, feasibility and safety of a supervised postoperative exercise programme in patients undergoing immediate internal pudendal artery perforator flap reconstruction for irradiated abdominoperineal resection defects. We will perform a open label, parallel-arm, randomized trial in patients who underwent immediate internal pudendal artery perforator flap reconstruction for irradiated abdominoperineal resection defects in a tertiary university hospital. Patients will be randomized to an early mobilization postoperative programme based on supervised aerobic exercise, resistance and flexibility training or to standard rehabilitation care - bed restriction for 5 days. The primary outcome will be inability to walk without human assistance at postoperative day 5 or hospital discharge.The secondary outcomes will be incidence of surgical complications, ability of walk assessed for the 6-minute walk test, incidence and intensity of fatigue measured by Piper's Revised Fatigue Scale, improvement of quality of life measured by EuroQuol-5D-5L Questionnaire, Incidence of deep venous thrombosis.

Conditions