Effectiveness of Prehabilitation Programs in Reducing the Length of Hospital Stay and Complication Rates in Major Surgeries: A Systematic Review

Prehabilitation, involving physical, nutritional, and psychological interventions before surgery, has emerged as a promising strategy to improve postoperative outcomes. This systematic review evaluated the impact of prehabilitation programs across various surgical systems, including cardiac, abdominal, colorectal, and thoracic surgeries. Data were synthesized from meta-analyses and systematic reviews to assess the effectiveness of uni- and multimodal prehabilitation interventions. Findings demonstrate that multimodal prehabilitation, particularly combining exercise and nutrition, significantly reduces postoperative complications, enhances functional recovery, and shortens hospital length of stay (LoS). While benefits were observed across surgical systems, variability in outcomes was noted due to differences in intervention design and patient populations. The review highlights the adaptability of prehabilitation and underscores its potential as a cost-effective and scalable approach to optimize surgical outcomes. However, gaps remain in standardizing protocols and evaluating long-term benefits, particularly for underrepresented surgeries such as spine and thoracic procedures. These findings support the integration of tailored prehabilitation programs into perioperative care and emphasize the need for further high-quality research.