Prehabilitation program in elderly patients: a prospective cohort study

The preoperative period may be an opportune period to optimize the patients’ physical condition with a multimodal preoperative program. The impact of a \"prehabilitation\" program in elderly patients is discussed. This mono-centre observational cohort study included consecutively 139 patients planned for major abdominal and thoracic surgery: 44 in the control group (age<65) and 95 in the elderly group (age> 65). All patients followed a \"prehabilitation\" program including exercise training, nutritional optimization, psychological support, and behavior change. Seventeen patients in the control group and 45 in the elderly group completed the study at six months. The 6-minute walk test (6MWT) increased in both groups from the initial evaluation to the last one (median value of 80 m [interquartile range 51] for those under 65 years; 59 m [34] for the older ones; P=0.114). The 6MWT was also similar after one month of prehabilitation for both populations. The rate of postoperative complica...