WE1.6 Effects of prehabilitation programme on outcomes after colorectal cancer surgery

Abstract Aims Surgery for colorectal cancer is associated with risks of complications and death. These are associated with higher mortality and morbidity rates, lower quality of life and increased expenditure in healthcare. We aimed to determine the impact of prehabilitation on patient outcomes with regards to length of hospital stay and postoperative complications. Methods The prehabilitation programme was introduced to our unit in March 2021. We compared outcomes of all patients undergoing elective colorectal cancer surgery before and after introduction of the programme from a prospectively maintained database. Records of patients in the non prehabilitation group (NP) between January to June 2019 and those in the prehabiltation group (PhP) between April to October 2021 were analysed. Our primary aim was to compare the length of stay between the groups with a secondary aim to compare postoperative complications. Results A total of 151 elective colorectal cancer patients were included. There were 64 patients in the NP group and 87 patients in the PhP group. The median length of stay in the NP group was 7 days and in the PhP group was 5 days. 30% of patients in the NP group developed post-operative complications while only 19% of patients in the PhP group developed post-operative complications. Conclusion Prehabilitation is a vital component in a patient's treatment journey. Results from our study have shown an improvement in postoperative outcomes. It should therefore be an element of all enhanced recovery programmes. Further research in this domain could include individualised programs to obtain more benefits