Physical Prehabilitation Reduces Short-Term Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Major Abdominal Surgery

Physical prehabilitation is recommended before major abdominal surgery to improve short-term outcomes. A comprehensive systematic review and network meta-analysis of 25 studies found that aerobic exercise (AE) and a combination of AE with inspiratory muscle training (IMT) were the most effective approaches in reducing overall morbidity rate and pneumonia risk. The combination of AE and IMT yielded the best incremental improvement in patient outcomes. AE also showed benefits in reducing length of stay. These findings emphasize the importance of preoperative physical activity in abdominal surgery patients.