Pre-operative and Post-operative Rehabilitation
Pre-operative Rehabilitation (Prehab)
What is Prehab?
Preparing for surgery is just as important as the surgery itself. Prehab is a proactive approach to optimising your health and physical condition before undergoing a major surgical procedure. Enrolling in a prehab program 6-12 weeks before your surgery, lays the groundwork for a smoother recovery process and better outcomes.
What are the benefits?
Improved health status: Enhances overall fitness, cardiovascular endurance, muscle strength, and flexibility, leading to better health before surgery.
Faster Recovery: Reduces hospital length of stay, faster post-operative recovery and return to regular activities.
Reduced Complications: Lowers the risks of infection, blood clots, and pneumonia.
Improved quality of life: Improves physical, emotional, and social well-being. Alleviates surgery-related anxiety and stress and fosters a positive mindset.
What Does Prehab Involve?
Education: We provide you with information about your upcoming surgery, what to expect, and how you can actively participate in your own recovery journey. We understand that this may be an anxious time and too much information can be overwhelming. We will go at your pace, break it down into manageable chunks and provide you with written information along the way.
Breathing Exercises: Breathing exercises are essential after surgery. They help to clear the airways of phlegm, improve lung capacity, and reduce the risk of complications such as chest infections and pneumonia. We teach you simple breathing exercises that you can perform both before and after surgery, so that as soon as you wake up from your surgery, you can start on your road to recovery.
Inspiratory Muscle Training: Inspiratory muscle training (IMT) involves exercises specifically designed to improve the strength and endurance of the breathing muscles, leading to improved lung function and better respiratory performance before and after surgery. IMT is especially beneficial for individuals with reduced lung function, those undergoing high-risk surgeries (e.g., heart, lung or abdominal surgery), smokers, the elderly, those with a sedentary lifestyle, and individuals with obesity.
Exercise: Exercise is a core component of prehab. The type, intensity, and duration of exercise will be determined based on your individual needs, health status, medical history, and surgical procedure. This tailored exercise program that will not only improve your overall fitness but also target specific muscle groups relevant to your procedure, preparing your body for the upcoming surgery.
Post-operative rehabilitation
Optimising post-operative recovery
A post-operative rehabilitation program ensures you continue on your path towards recovery following your hospital discharge. It is designed to support you as you regain your strength, mobility, and independence, enabling a smooth transition from hospital to home.
What does post-operative rehabilitation involve?
Pain Management: We understand that managing your post-operative pain is essential for your comfort and overall well-being. We will collaborate with your treating doctors to ensure that your pain is optimally managed so that you may recover as quickly as possible.
Education: Throughout your post-operative rehabilitation program, we provide advice on key topics, such as scar management, nutrition, and activity and lifestyle modification, supporting you to achieve the best possible outcomes after your surgery.
Exercise: We will guide you through exercises that progressively restore your strength, range of motion, balance and mobility, helping you return to daily activities and the things you enjoy. The type, intensity, and duration of these exercises will be tailored to your individual needs, health status, medical history, and surgical procedure, ensuring a safe and effective program.
Continued Support: We provide ongoing support and follow-up as necessary to monitor your progress, make any adjustments to your program, and offer guidance as you navigate your recovery journey.
