Clinical Research Directory

Multimodal Prehabilitation of Frail Patients Undergoing Elective Knee or Hip Replacement

Background: Frailty is a geriatric syndrome of reduced physiologic reserve that increases surgical risk and is common among older adults undergoing hip or knee replacement. While prehabilitation has shown promise in enhancing outcomes, evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in frail orthopedic patients is limited. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and preliminary data on the effectiveness of a multimodal prehabilitation program for frail patients undergoing elective hip or knee arthroplasty. Methods: A pilot RCT will be conducted at Landspítali-University Hospital. Patients ≥70 years scheduled for surgery with ≥2 months waiting time will be screened for frailty using PRISMA-7, the Clock Drawing Test, and Timed Up \& Go. Patients screening positive for any of the three screening tools will be randomized to multimodal prehabilitation or standard of care. The intervention includes comprehensive geriatric assessment, medication review, tailored physiotherapy using the Otago Exercise Programme, and nutritional counseling if at risk of malnutrition. We will conduct an external pilot for feasibility measures (overall enrollment, recruitment, retention, adherence). Secondary outcomes include physical performance, postoperative complications, patient-reported health status (WOMAC scale) and quality of life (EQ-5D-5L ), length of primary hospital stay, discharge location, falls postoperatively, 180-day readmission and 180-day mortality. Significance: This trial may aid in the design of larger RCT study and provide a signal of the role of multimodal prehabilitation on outcomes, including quality of life and health status among frail arthroplasty patients.

Prehab for Pancreatic Cancer Surgery

The goal of this clinical study is to test whether a structured prehabilitation program can be successfully used by adults with pancreatic cancer who are receiving chemotherapy before planned surgery. Prehabilitation is a program designed to improve a person's physical fitness, nutrition, and symptom control before surgery. The study's main hypothesis is that patients with pancreatic cancer can take part in and adhere to a multimodal prehabilitation program during chemotherapy, and that doing so may improve physical function, patient experience, and early recovery after surgery.

Prehabilitation to Enhance Preoperative Function in Elderly Undergoing Abdominal Malignancy Surgery

The goal of this observational study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the multimodal prehabilitation program at the Siriraj Integrated Preoperative and Prehabilitation Center (SiPAP) on improving preoperative walking capacity and functional status in patients undergoing elective intraabdominal cancer surgery. The main question it aims to answer is: \- Does the prehabilitation program lead to a significant change in 6-minute walk distance (6MWD) at preoperative admission as compared to at baseline assessment? Participants will receive the structured multimodal prehabilitation program, which represents the standard of care for patients in the ERAS protocol at the study site. Outcomes will be measured at preoperative admission and at 1 and 3 months after surgery.

Preoperative Shoulder Exercises and Postoperative Inflammation, Pain, and Function After Modified Radical Mastectomy

This study evaluates whether preoperative shoulder range-of-motion exercises influence postoperative inflammatory response, pain, shoulder function, and quality of life in patients with locally advanced breast cancer undergoing modified radical mastectomy.

Preoperative Physical Exercise, Nutritional Support, and Psychological Intervention (Multimodal Prehabilitation) to Strengthen Patients' Overall Health and Reduce Postoperative Complications

In this prospective, randomized, controlled trial patients undergoing major gastrointestinal cancer surgery will be exercised (intervention group) 4 weeks before surgery with a high-intensity interval training (HIIT). They will also receive a specialized nutrition therapy and psychological support (multimodal prehabilitation). Aim of this study is to find out if the prehabilitation group is more resilient to postoperative complications when compared to the control group that will receive standard of care. Another goal is to unravel the underlying mechanisms that are stimulated by exercise like enhancing vascular function, improving immune system response, strengthen cellular tumor defense and optimizing neurological outcome.

Effectiveness of a Prehabilitation Program for Hip or Knee Arthroplasty Surgery.

We live in an increasingly aging society in which the incidence of osteoarticular diseases increases, among which osteoarthritis (OA) stands out. OA is a degenerative disorder of the different components of the joint leading to a progressive destruction of the same. The hip and knee being the most affected joints, OA presents multiple symptoms such as pain, stiffness and functional limitation, also causing psychological disorders such as anxiety, depression, quality of sleep and poor perception of quality of life. Conventional treatment is aimed at alleviating symptoms, but when conservative therapies fail in the more advanced stages of the disease, total joint replacement surgery or arthroplasty is the therapeutic option of choice. Strength physical exercise (PE) and aerobic training have been shown to be effective in OA, obtaining positive effects on the symptoms and on variables that deteriorate this disease. The concept of pre-habilitation or preoperative rehabilitation has been shown through other studies in different pathologies (cardiopulmonary and musculoskeletal) to have positive effects at a clinical and functional level, however, the planning of a pre-habilitation protocol in hip or knee arthroplasty is still controversial. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect that a prehabilitation program will produce and its possible usefulness in those subjects who are waiting for a hip or knee arthroplasty. It is expected to find favorable results that support this therapy when it comes to reducing postoperative recovery times, functional capacity and other psychological variables of interest. This powerful tool could represent a non-pharmacological and non-invasive therapy, as well as being useful and economical in the management of patients with OA in advanced stages.

Preoperative Optimization Before Total Hip or Knee Replacement Surgery

Preoperative Optimisation prior to Hip and Knee Arthroplasty (PrOpE) Many patients scheduled for planned hip or knee replacement surgery have health conditions that may affect recovery, such as reduced physical fitness, nutritional problems, multiple medications, or increased stress and anxiety. These factors can increase the risk of complications and delay recovery after surgery. The PrOpE study examines whether a structured preparation programme before surgery, known as preoperative optimization or prehabilitation, can be safely implemented and may support recovery after hip or knee replacement. Aim of the study The main aim is to assess the feasibility of a comprehensive preoperative optimisation programme and to explore its potential effects on recovery and health outcomes. The results will help improve future care for patients undergoing major orthopaedic surgery. Who can participate? Adult patients scheduled for elective total hip or knee replacement surgery who are classified as ASA \>2, aged between 18 and 99 years old and without a severe cognitive impairment. Participation is voluntary. Study design A total of 180 participants will be included and randomly assigned to one of two groups: • Standard Care Group: Participants receive usual medical care before and after surgery. • Intervention Group: In addition to standard care, participants receive an individualised preparation programme over several weeks before surgery. This programme may include: * Personalised physical exercise * Nutritional assessment and advice * Support for stress, pain, and mental well-being * Review of regular medications Some elements may be delivered at home or via telemedicine, depending on individual needs. What information is collected? The study evaluates recovery after surgery, including complications, length of hospital stay, physical function, quality of life, and use of health care services. Questionnaires, physical tests, and blood samples are used to better understand health status before and after surgery. Risks and benefits The study involves low additional risk. All measures are adapted to individual abilities and supervised by trained professionals. The main burden is the additional time required for participation. Participants in the optimisation group may benefit from improved preparation for surgery. The study also contributes to improving care for future patients.

Pre-operative Risk Assessment Combined With Targeted Intervention in the Chinese Elderly With Spine Surgery II

This multicenter, parallel-group, assessor-blinded randomized controlled trial will enroll 248 adults aged ≥75 years with degenerative lumbar spinal diseases scheduled for elective lumbar fusion surgery, and they will be randomized 1:1 into the intervention and usual care groups. The intervention group will receive a 6-week PHYSIO-Prehab multimodal prehabilitation program, including multicomponent exercise, nutritional intervention, comorbidity optimization, and cognitive prehabilitation with brain protection strategies. The control group will receive standard health education provided via a manual, and both groups will receive consistent perioperative Enhanced Recovery After Surgery care. The primary outcome will be the change in Barthel Index (a tool for assessing independence in activities of daily living) from baseline to 30 days postoperatively; secondary outcomes will include pain scores, disability, patient satisfaction, and the 30-day postoperative Comprehensive Complication Index. The trial will initiate recruitment in April 2026 and conclude in December 2027, aiming to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of PHYSIO-Prehab and provide high-quality evidence for patient-centered perioperative care pathways in this population.

Prehab Prior to Stem Cell Transplantation in Multiple Myeloma

The primary purpose of this study is to see if individuals with Multiple Myeloma are able and interested in taking part in a tailored exercise program while undergoing their chemotherapy prior to a stem cell transplant. We also hope to learn if this type of program, along with a flexible delivery format (in-person and virtual), helps in maintaining or improving physical fitness, muscle mass and strength, and quality of life during chemotherapy.

The PRIMROSE Trial

Smoking is a major cause for developing lung cancer. People diagnosed with lung cancer, may be offered surgery which offers a complete cure. Smoking also damages the lungs and compromises a person's lung function, resulting in shortness of breath. Breathlessness limits the ability to carry out daily physical activities and exercise and makes people vulnerable to developing post procedure complications and even death. Some people with surgically treatable lung cancer have a poor ability to exercise and compromised lung function and are not fit for surgery. They will instead be referred for radiation therapy, chemotherapy or palliative care. Surgery is the preferred treatment option. The pulmonary rehabilitation program (Prehab) improves fitness levels. In addition, it improves the level of breathlessness, exercise capacity and vulnerability of people with lung cancer, with the aim of making them fit for safe surgery. By adding a breathing training device to the Prehab program, the investigators aim to further improve participants fitness for surgery, lower their risk of developing complications and the time spent in hospital after the procedure. The breathing training device is called an inspiratory muscle training device. The hand-held device helps to train and strengthen the breathing muscles, which are then able to work more effectively. After the procedure, participants may be able to breathe and exercise more easily reducing their risk of developing complications and improving outcomes. The study will compare two groups of people with lung cancer having surgical removal of part of the lung, at a specialist hospital . One group will receive standard Prehab and inspiratory muscle training with the device prior to the procedure; patients in the second group with receive standard Prehab prior to the procedure. Participants will be followed up for twelve months.

Multimodal Prehabilitation Program That Combines Physical Exercise, Psychological Intervention and Nutritional Support to Improve the Response to Neoadjuvant Chemoterhapy in Early Breast Cancer Patients

The aim of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether following a multimodal prehabilitation program including physical exercise, nutritional support and psychological intervention during neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer patients could improve the pathological response to chemotherapy. 214 women with non-metastatic breast cancer with indication of chemotherapy before surgery will be eligible to participate. Patients will be randomly assigned to either the intervention group or the control group. * Patients assigned to the intervention group (107 women) will undergo a directed multimodal prehabilitation program during the chemotherapy (4-6 months), including structured physical exercise, psychological intervention and nutritional guidance. * Patients assigned to the control group (107 women) will undergo standard clinical management for their disease without multimodal prehabilitation. The response to chemotherapy between the two groups will be evaluated and compared. It is expected that multimodal prehabilitation will increase the response to chemotherapy and will improve the postoperative recovery of patients and their quality of life, as well as reducing the number of complications from surgery and chemotherapy treatment. Changes in the tumor microenvironment are also expected after prehabilitation.

Virtual Group Prehabilitation Education (Surgery School) Feasibility Trial

One in four patients requiring planned major surgery have complications. Prehabilitation; which involves increasing physical activity, improving nutrition and supporting emotional well-being prior to surgery can reduce these complications and improve recovery. Group preoperative prehabilitation classes (surgery schools) are advocated by the Centre for Perioperative Care and are standard care in many hospitals, despite a lack of evidence for their effectiveness in improving patient outcomes. In phase 1 an 2 of this research investigators used patient experiences and co-participatory methods to optimise an existing intervention to make it as acceptable and as engaging as possible. The resulting education package is called 'GoPREPARE' Investigators now intend to test the practicalities of trialing GoPREPARE on preoperative patients with cancer. 24 patients awaiting surgery will be recruited from University Hospital Plymouth and randomly allocated equally to: Group - GoPREPARE and Group 2- standard care. Participants will complete lifestyle questionnaires before during and after their hospital stay. To evaluate the experience, \~8 participants will be interviewed. 5 clinical staff involved in the trial will also take part in a focus group. The information collected will be analysed to assess if it is feasible to conduct a larger trial.

Auricular Acupressure in Prehabilitation

Complementary medicine is recognized for its ability to enhance appetite, increase energy, reduce anxiety, decrease pain, and improve sleep, among many other benefits. Acupuncture is among the most frequent types of complementary medicine practiced in the US, and Medicare currently includes back pain as a reimbursable indication for this therapy. Acupuncture-related therapies may enhance efforts at prehabilitation in candidates for major lung resection.

Patient-centered REhabilitation Program to Advance REcovery

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether an app-based, patient-centered prehabilitation program improves preoperative functional capacity in adults scheduled for elective cancer surgery. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does the program increase the six-minute walk distance (6MWD) measured on the preoperative day (within 24-48 hours before surgery)? Compared with usual care, does the program improve preoperative adherence to home 6MWT practice and patient-reported anxiety/depression (HADS)? Researchers will compare an app-based prehabilitation program to usual care to see if the program improves preoperative functional capacity. Participants will: Use a study app to perform weekly home six-minute walk tests (6MWT) and complete brief daily check-ins (exercise, nutrition, psychological status) before surgery. Attend routine preoperative admission (no extra visit) for in-hospital 6MWT (primary endpoint) and brief assessments (grip strength, Timed Up \& Go, HADS, skeletal muscle mass by InBody where available/fee-free). Attend one routine postoperative outpatient visit at 3 or 6 months (site-standard timing) for follow-up assessments. No additional study-specific clinic visits are required outside usual care.

Evaluation of Seismocardiography(SCG) for Assessing Fitness and Predicting Outcomes in Oesophageal Cancer Surgery

Oesophageal cancer is a common cause of cancer death worldwide. Curative treatment involves chemotherapy and surgery but has significant risks. Therefore, patient selection and improving physical fitness to withstand such major treatment is important to reduce the risk of complications. Physical fitness is traditionally measured by a specialised exercise test called Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET), which can take up to one hour and requires specialised staff and expensive equipment such as a graded exercise bike or treadmill. Seismofit is a small device (smaller than a smartphone) used to estimate fitness in patients in under three minutes while lying down at rest. It measures the vibrations generated by the heart and, together with patient height, weight, age, and gender, accurately estimates fitness using an algorithm developed in healthy patients. The device has never been tested in a large group of oesophageal cancer patients to see if it can be used to predict complications in patients undergoing cancer treatment. In this study, patients undergoing Oesophageal cancer treatment with chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy and surgery will have Seismofit measurements at various points during their treatment to see if we can predict complications and hospital stay. Secondly, this study will also evaluate the accuracy of Seismofit compared to the gold standard CPET results in cancer patients.

Prehabilitation Program for Patients Awaiting Elective Heart Surgery at Increased Risk of Postoperative Complications: Feasibility and Potential Clinical Outcomes

The goal of this study is to learn if an exercise-based prehabilitation program can help people who are waiting for heart surgery and are at higher risk of complications recover better. The main questions it aims to answer are: Can a home-based prehabilitation program prescribed by a physiotherapist be done safely and realistically before heart surgery? Participants will: Take part in a personalized exercise program for a 8 to 16 weeks before surgery Do breathing muscle training at home Meet with a physiotherapist once a week, either in person or by video call Be assessed before and after the program Researchers will compare the postoperative results with those of patients who received usual care only.

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Pathway in Patients Undergoing Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy

Prostate cancer ranks second among all malignances in men and has become a significant threat to men's health. Robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RARP) has become a standard treatment for prostate cancer. How to improve recovery following RARP surgery is worth investigating. The enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) pathway involves a series of evidence-based procedures. It is aimed to reduce the systemic stress response to surgery and shorten the length of hospital stay. This randomized trial aims to investigate the impact of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Pathway on early outcomes after RARP surgery.

Investigation of the Effects of Prehabilitation Education Delivered Through a Mobile Compatible Website on Quality of Life and Symptoms in Patients Undergoing Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Aim of the Study: The aim of this study is to examine the effect of prehabilitation education delivered via a mobile-compatible website on the quality of life and symptom evaluation of patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Research Questions: What is the effect of prehabilitation education delivered via a mobile-compatible website on the quality of life of stem cell transplant patients? What is the effect of prehabilitation education delivered via a mobile-compatible website on the symptom management of stem cell transplant patients? Method: In this study, patients will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: One group will receive prehabilitation education through a mobile-compatible website. The other group will receive standard educational procedures.

CABGpreHAB - a Feasibility Study Protocol

Patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD) awaiting coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery often face challenges like advanced age, frailty, comorbidities, and physical inactivity. These factors, combined with the physiological and psychological stress of surgery, can hinder postoperative recovery. Traditionally, strategies to improve surgical outcomes focus on the intra- and postoperative periods. However, the pre-surgery waiting period offers a "window of opportunity" for prehabilitation, which aims to enhance patients' functional capacity through exercise, nutrition, and psychological support. The CABGpreHAB feasibility study evaluates the feasibility of a home-based multimodal prehabilitation intervention for patients awaiting elective CABG surgery. This randomized pilot study compares the intervention plus usual care to usual care alone, assessing feasibility outcomes like recruitment, retention, attrition, fidelity, and adherence. The study aims to optimize a subsequent full-scale randomized controlled trial (RCT) and improve patient outcomes by leveraging the pre-surgery period for prehabilitation.

Patient's Database: Prepare for Your Surgery Program

Frailty is a multidimensional syndrome that predominantly affects older people and people with long-term treatments such as cancer and chronic pain. This results in an increased risk of disability, reduced resistance and greater vulnerability to stressors. These factors culminate in worse postoperative outcomes, including higher rates of complications and mortality. With the current demographic shift towards an aging population in Latin America and Chile, the prevalence of frailty among surgical patients is increasing. Despite the clear association between frailty and adverse postoperative effects, in Chile there are few centers that routinely perform objective preoperative frailty assessment before to surgery. This is due to logistical challenges, the need for specialized training, and assessment tools. As a result, frailty remains an underestimated syndrome in the perioperative setting. Various interventions have been proposed to improve the care of fragile surgical patients. Prehabilitation, a multidisciplinary program designed to prepare patients for surgery and improve their resilience to surgical stress, has emerged as a promising intervention. Recent studies indicate that prehabilitation may lead to shorter hospital length of stay (LOS) and fewer complications. Recognizing the vital role that frailty plays in surgical outcomes and the paucity of research on prehabilitation, a prehabilitation or timely presurgical conditioning program (Prepare for Your Surgery Program) has been implemented at our center. This proposal seeks to optimize the patient before a surgical intervention in order to reduce frailty and complications, thus improving recovery and medium-term results. The program consists of interventions 4 to 6 weeks before surgery focused on: nursing assessment, screening and follow-up, geriatric and/or internal medicine assessment and intervention, physiotherapy assessment and intervention, nutrition assessment and intervention, psychological assessment and intervention, and preoperative anesthesiology intervention. For this purpose, it has been proposed to create a prospective database of patients from the Prepare for Your Surgery Program, who undergo elective surgery at Hospital Clinico Red Salud UC-Christus.

The Effectiveness of Telemedicine Monitoring Prehabilitation in Prostate Cancer Patients Undergoing Radical Prostatectomy

The study titled " The effectiveness of telemedicine monitoring prehabilitation in prostate cancer patients undergoing radical prostatectomy " investigates the impact of a structured telemedicine-supported prehabilitation and rehabilitation program on reducing postoperative urinary incontinence in patients with localized prostate cancer. Radical prostatectomy, a common treatment for localized prostate cancer, is often associated with complications such as urinary incontinence, which significantly affects quality of life. This study aims to address this issue by enhancing patients' physical conditioning and adherence to pre- and postoperative rehabilitation through the use of wearable devices and remote physiotherapy consultations.

Prehabilitation for Colorectal Cancer Patients With Low Functional Capacity and Malnutrition

Despite multi-modal prehabilitation (nutrition, exercise, and psychosocial interventions), 60% of older elective colorectal cancer surgery patients with poor physical function were unable to reach a minimum preoperative 400m six-minute walking distance (6MWD), a prognostic cut-point. Compared to the patients that attained \>400m 6MWD preoperatively, twice as many of \<400m patients were malnourished. Malnutrition has long been associated with worse functioning (e.g., physical, immune). The investigators hypothesize that for nutritionally deficient patients, the etiology for their poor physical function is malnutrition. Correction of malnutrition alone might thus be sufficient to achieve a 400m 6MWD before surgery and improve patient outcomes.

Cognitive and Physical Optimization in Prevention of Postoperative Cognitive Deficit in Elderly With Lung Resection

Postoperative cognitive deficit and its connection with surgery and general anesthesia were first mentioned in the literature in 1955 by Bradford. Cognitive disorders in the postoperative period are postoperative delirium (POD) and postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD). POD is an acute dysfunction in cognition, which did not exist preoperatively. Attention deficit disorder is the main symptom of POD and refers to the inability to direct, focus, maintain, or shift attention. Memory impairment, disorientation, or perceptual disturbances may also be present. Cognitive capacity changes in POD patients develop and fluctuate in the first few days after surgery. Unlike POD, there is no formal definition for POCD. Based on data from the existing literature, it is defined as newly diagnosed cognitive deterioration that occurs after surgery. The diagnosis of POCD should be based on pre- and postoperative screening with appropriate psychometric tests. Risk factors for the development of POCD include those related to the surgical procedure, anesthesia, or the patient himself. Compared to less invasive and shorter operations, there is a higher risk of developing POCD after major, invasive, and long-term operations. Additional risk factors are intraoperative (intraoperative bleeding, perioperative transfusion treatment, hypotension) and postoperative complications (respiratory insufficiency, pneumonia, atelectasis, bronchospasm, bronchopleural fistula, and pulmonary edema). Presurgical optimization (Prehabilitation) is a widespread concept that aims to improve the general condition of the patient or optimize comorbidities before major surgery. Prehabilitation is primarily focused on improving physical ability and nutritional status, but it is developing in the direction of a multimodal approach that includes measures to reduce stress and anxiety. Psychological factors are increasingly recognized as an essential element of prehabilitation and are often added to prehabilitation programs. Older patients, who meet the diagnostic criteria for frailty and are at risk of developing postoperative complications such as cognitive function disorders are increasingly undergoing lung resection. These complications can affect the outcome and speed of postoperative recovery.

Prehabilitation With Resistance-exercise Training for Breast Cancer Neoadjuvant Therapy

Breast cancer stands as the foremost cause of cancer-related deaths among women worldwide, with the highest incidence of any cancer type. The choice of therapeutic interventions hinges upon factors like cancer stage, cell subtype, and tumor size. Consequently, individuals with more aggressive tumors, such as HER+2 and Triple Negative, or larger tumors often undergo neoadjuvant chemotherapy before breast surgery. However, these anticancer treatments come with side effects like cancer-related fatigue, reduced functional capacity, and changes in body composition, notably skeletal muscle atrophy. Skeletal muscle loss correlates with heightened mortality rates, cardiotoxicity, and diminished quality of life, underscoring the need for early therapeutic interventions. One such promising strategy is prehabilitation, which involves resistance-exercise training aimed at bolstering skeletal muscle mass from the outset of the disease, even preceding breast surgery. Resistance-exercise training has shown favorable effects on women undergoing adjuvant therapy or survivors of breast cancer, however, its molecular and clinical effects in women with breast cancer undergoing neoadjuvant therapy are unknown.