Postoperative outcomes in patients with gastric cancer undergoing prehabilitation in a high-complexity referral...

Gastric cancer remains one of the most frequent oncological diseases, often associated with a high rate of postoperative complications. Prehabilitation has shown benefits in other surgical settings, although its role in gastric cancer patients remains under investigation.

To describe the postoperative outcomes of patients with gastric cancer who underwent a prehabilitation programme in a high-complexity referral centre in Bogotá, Colombia.

A descriptive observational retrospective cohort study was conducted at Clínica Universitaria Colombia between January 2021 and December 2023. Patients aged 18-80 years with a confirmed diagnosis of gastric cancer who underwent surgical treatment were included.

A total of 140 patients with gastric cancer received prehabilitation. The mean age was 60.9 years, and 60% were male. Postoperative complications occurred in 23.6% of patients, with surgical site infection being the most frequent (17.1%). Admission to the intensive care unit was required in 7.1%, and overall mortality was 4.3%. In bivariate analysis, malnourished patients presented higher rates of total complications, surgical site infection, and ICU admission.

Malnutrition is consistently associated with worse postoperative outcomes. Therefore, prehabilitation plays a crucial role in improving nutritional and functional parameters that directly influence the recovery and prognosis of patients with gastric cancer.