Preoperative Supervised Exercise Improves Outcomes After Elective Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair: A Randomized...

Area of Science:

• Vascular Surgery
• Cardiopulmonary Physiology
• Geriatric Medicine

Background:

• Functional capacity is a key predictor of outcomes following elective abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair.
• Preoperative exercise programs may enhance patient fitness and positively impact recovery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effect of a 6-week medically supervised preoperative exercise program on outcomes in patients undergoing elective AAA repair.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 124 patients scheduled for AAA repair.
• Patients were randomized to either a supervised exercise group or standard care.
• Primary outcome was a composite of cardiac, pulmonary, and renal complications; secondary outcomes included mortality, length of stay, and other clinical scores.

Main Results:

• The exercise group had significantly fewer postoperative complications (22.6% vs. 41.9%, P=0.021).
• Hospital stay was significantly shorter for patients in the exercise group (median 7 vs. 8 days, P=0.025).
• No significant differences were observed in 30-day mortality, critical care stay, APACHE II scores, reoperations, or bleeding.

Conclusions:

• Preoperative supervised exercise training is effective in reducing postoperative complications.
• This exercise intervention also leads to a shorter hospital stay for patients undergoing elective AAA repair.