Patients’ perspectives of prehabilitation as an extension of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery protocols

Fig. 1. As participants waited for surgery, they experienced fear, anxiety and isolation, and perceived deterioration of their mental and physical states. Actively engaging patients in the recovery process by preparing for surgery might alleviate some of the anxiety and fear associated with waiting passively for surgery.

Fig. 2. Patients perceived that a prehabilitation program could prepare them for their operation if it focused on optimizing their mental and physical states, offered personalized support from health care professionals and peers, provided strategies to help get their home and body ready for postoperative recovery, and included surgical expectations (both what to expect and what is expected of them). ERAS = Enhanced Recovery After Surgery.

Fig. 3. A patient-oriented preoperative program has the potential to ameliorate deterioration during the waiting period for surgery and promote a mindset to recover well. It is essential to recognize that preoperative preparation should occur on a continuum that meets patients where they are at and in a partnership that respects patients’ expertise and desired level of engagement.