A Pro-Active Prehabilitation Programme. Version 1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A Pro-Active Prehabilitation Programme for Patients undergoing Major Abdominal Surgery
IRAS ID
242167
Contact name
Omer Aziz
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The University of Manchester
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 2 months, 26 days
Research summary
This research will involve conducting a home-based prehabilitation programme for 5 patients undergoing major abdominal cancer surgery at the Christie Colorectal and Peritoneal Oncology centre. Prehabilitation is an intervention designed to improve the physical fitness levels of patients before surgery.
The aim is to help patients cope better with the stress surgery places on the body. It is a proactive programme, which attempts to prevent a decline in fitness levels before it happens rather than responding to the deterioration after it occurs.
Research has shown that prehabilitation can reduce complications, length of stay and death rates after surgery. Additionally, a trimodal prehabilitation programme consisting of physical exercise, dietary and psychological well-being interventions, may be more effective than an exercise intervention alone. As a result, our prehabilitation programme will contain these three elements. The exercise aspect will be individualised. Patients will be allocated to an exercise programme that is appropriate for their level of fitness.
To complement the programme, patients will be given the commercially available FitBit watch. A FitBit can be used to monitor physical activity levels such as heart rate, steps per day, calories burnt, duration of exercise and other measures. Research has shown that technology may improve patient motivation. In addition to this, patients attending The Christie for treatment travel long distances. If a prehabilitation programme could be delivered without patients having to come for regular visits, this would be very useful.
The eligibility criteria has been carefully considered to ensure that only those individuals who would be eligible and are capable of giving consent are included in this feasibility study, and will be given the opportunity to discuss participation into the study with their family, friends, GP and research team before consenting. Those who decide not to consent will not be disadvantaged.
REC name
London - Bloomsbury Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/LO/0869
Date of REC Opinion
15 May 2018
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion