Improving fitness before a major operation may halve chances of having complications afterwards, study shows By MEIKE LEONARD Published: 03:48, 26 January 2025 | Updated: 03:54, 26 January 2025 e-mail View comments Boosting fitness level before a major operation could halve the chances of complications afterwards, a study has shown. And researchers also found that patients who actively prepared for planned surgery by exercising and improving their diet tended to have a quicker recovery. Of the 15,684 people in the Canadian study whose medical records were examined, those who took up healthy habits – known as prehabilitation, as opposed to post-op rehabilitation – had fewer issues up to a month later and enjoyed a better quality of life.
Researchers discovered that increasing activity levels before an operation, when possible, could reduce the risk of complications by 50 per cent, while eating a healthy diet – and increasing protein intake in particular – cut the risk by 38 per cent. Surprisingly, they also found that access to psychological support – where clinicians talk them through exactly what to expect from the recovery process – was one of the most effective means of reducing the time spent in hospital after surgery. Combining all three – exercise, a healthy diet and therapy – reduced the chance of post-op difficulties by 36 per cent.
Actively preparing for major surgery could also lower the time spent recovering in hospital. Those who upped their exerci.
