Overview
- A randomized study at Stanford Health Care enrolled 54 adults about four to five weeks before major, often abdominal, surgery.
- Researchers compared twice-weekly one-on-one video sessions—exercise with a physical therapist plus nutrition, cognition and behavioral support with a physician—against a standard booklet and app program.
- Moderate-to-severe complications within 30 days occurred in 4 of 27 coached patients versus 11 of 27 receiving standard materials.
- Coached participants posted broader gains on pre-surgery physical and cognitive tests and exhibited immune shifts consistent with lower inflammation, reduced innate over-reactivity, and normalization of certain T cell responses.
- Patients reported strong adherence to the remote, tailored format, and investigators said larger, more diverse trials are needed to determine who benefits most and how to scale the approach; funding included NIH and several foundations.