Prehabilitation Program May Benefit Patients Undergoing CRC Surgery

Structured implementation increased participation and improved preoperative fitness, while postoperative complication and mortality rates remained similar across groups.

By
Andrea Surnit
June 25, 2026
4 min

Conexiant

Objective:

To evaluate the impact of a standardized multimodal prehabilitation program on postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing elective colorectal cancer surgery.

Approach:

Study Design: Retrospective analysis of 401 patients who underwent elective surgical resection for primary colorectal cancer between January 2022 and April 2024.
Comparison: Outcomes were compared between a nonstandardized prehabilitation approach and a standardized multimodal prehabilitation program.
Evaluation Metrics: Participation rates, referral patterns, physiotherapy outcomes, postoperative complications, hospital length of stay, and 90-day mortality were assessed.

Key Findings:

Participation in prehabilitation increased from 40% to 59% after implementing the standardized program.
Median postoperative hospital stay decreased from 4 days to 3 days following the standardized program.
Rates of postoperative complications and 90-day mortality were similar between the two periods, with complications occurring in about one-quarter of patients.
Documentation of the rationale behind decisions not to refer patients for prehabilitation improved, increasing from 44% to 67%.
Among patients who participated in physiotherapy, median maximal work capacity on the steep ramp test increased from 160 W to 213 W, and median one-repetition maximum leg press strength increased from 100 kg to 135 kg.

Interpretation:

Limitations:

The study was retrospective and conducted at a single center.
Referral decisions were based on surgeon judgment rather than standardized objective criteria, potentially introducing selection bias.
Findings may not be generalizable to other settings.