Key result
Preoperative prehabilitation for cardiac surgery is linked to modestly improved cardiorespiratory fitness and shorter hospital stays.
Why the study?
Does preoperative prehabilitation improve physical status and perioperative complications in adults undergoing cardiac surgery?
Meta-Analysis
Does preoperative prehabilitation improve physical status and perioperative complications in adults undergoing cardiac surgery?
Preoperative prehabilitation before cardiac surgery provides modest improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness and reduces hospital length of stay, but lacks clear evidence for improving broader clinical outcomes.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
May warrant selective prehabilitation to improve fitness and reduce LOS before cardiac surgery; leaves open effects on complications pending RCTs.
Our findings suggest an association between prehabilitation and preoperative enhancement in cardiorespiratory fitness. However, the effect size is modest and may have marginal clinical significance. It remains unclear whether prehabilitation can improve clinical outcomes beyond the reduction of hospital length of stay. Further research is required to provide evidence of the efficacy of these programs.
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Gil-Casado et al. (2026) conducted a meta-analysis in Adults undergoing cardiac surgery. Preoperative prehabilitation was evaluated on Physical status and perioperative complications. Preoperative prehabilitation in adults undergoing cardiac surgery was associated with a modest enhancement in cardiorespiratory fitness and reduced hospital length of stay.
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