Overview
- In a randomized study of 54 adults before major operations, coached prehabilitation led to 4 of 27 patients having moderate-to-severe complications within 30 days versus 11 of 27 with standard materials.
- The intervention delivered twice-weekly video sessions—one focused on exercise with a physical therapist and one on nutrition, cognition, sleep, and behavioral strategies with a physician.
- Participants receiving personalized coaching improved on every preoperative physical and cognitive test, while the standard group showed gains only in walking distance.
- Immune profiling showed dampened baseline inflammation and reduced innate over-reactivity, with changes in T-cell responses that may support better recovery after surgery.
- Authors report strong patient adherence with the remote, individualized format and note the approach is non-pharmacological and low-cost, while emphasizing the need to validate results in larger, more diverse populations.