Future Perspectives on Prehabilitation Interventions in Cancer Surgery

Area of Science:

• Perioperative Medicine
• Surgical Recovery
• Evidence-Based Practice

Background:

• Prehabilitation programs aim to optimize patient function before surgery.
• Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) programs standardize perioperative care.
• Integration of prehabilitation within ERAS is crucial for comprehensive patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify key knowledge gaps in prehabilitation evidence.
• To explore the integration of prehabilitation with ERAS programs.
• To guide future research for optimizing surgical patient outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review of electronic databases (PubMed, CINAHL).
• Analysis of existing evidence on prehabilitation and ERAS.
• Identification of research deficits and future directions.

Main Results:

• Key knowledge gaps exist regarding prehabilitation's evidence base.
• Effective integration strategies for prehabilitation within ERAS are not fully established.
• Specific patient populations (elderly, frail, cognitively impaired) require tailored approaches.

Conclusions:

• Future research must fill identified knowledge gaps to confirm prehabilitation's effectiveness.
• Prehabilitation should be integrated into ERAS frameworks for high-risk surgical patients.
• Special attention is needed for vulnerable patient groups to ensure functional recovery.