[Exercise-Based Prehabilitation In Orthopaedics, Cardiology And Oncology]

Prehabilitation (prehab) aims to prepare patients for surgery, to reduce perioperative complications and to improve postoperative recovery. Pre-operative interventions depend on the indication and the specific patient characteristics and life circumstances. In orthopaedics, the focus is on preoperative improvement of physical performance, function and muscle strength through specific strength, mobility and sensomotoric training. In cardiology, endurance training and respiratory therapy are used in the preoperative phase, as well as coordination and strengthening exercises and occupational therapy to improve physical fitness and performance and reduce cardiovascular risk factors. In oncology, prehab is used preoperatively and also in addition to chemotherapy or radiotherapy to reduce medical side effects and to increase tolerance to cancer therapies (e. g. surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy). Exercise interventions in oncology differ according to the type of cancer (e. g. combined strength and endurance training, respiratory therapy, high-intensity interval training and walking). Study results often show positive effects on health resources using prehab. However, further high-quality clinical intervention studies are needed to confirm the clinical benefits of prehab for implementation in routine care.