Merits of exercise therapy before and after major surgery

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Advances in medical care have led to an increasing elderly population. Elderly individuals should be able to participate in society as long as possible. However, with an increasing age their adaptive capacity gradually decreases, specially before and after major life events (like hospitalization and surgery) making them...

Preoperative physical fitness in older patients

The association of pre-operative physical fitness and physical activity with outcome after scheduled major abdominal surgery

We studied whether reported physical activity and measurements of fitness (hand, leg and inspiration) were associated with postoperative in-hospital mortality, length of stay and discharge destination in 169 patients after major oncological abdominal surgery. In multivariate analysis, adequate activity level (OR 5.5, 95% CI 1.4-21.9) and...

The better way in, the better way out: Preoperative functional status as predictor and improvement factor of the postoperative course

Abstract for the International Society for Aging and Physical activity's 8th World Congress on Aging and Physical Activity: A celebration of Diversity and Inclusion in Active Ageing, August 13-17 2012.

Preoperative home-based physical therapy versus usual care to improve functional health of frail older adults scheduled for elective total hip arthroplasty: A pilot randomized controlled trial

Preoperative home-based physical therapy versus usual care to improve functional health of frail older adults scheduled for elective total hip arthroplasty: a pilot randomized controlled trial. Objective: To investigate the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of a home-based intensive exercise program to improve physical health of frail...

Preoperative therapeutic programme for elderly patients scheduled for elective abdominal oncological surgery: A randomized controlled pilot study

Objective: Investigation of the feasibility and preliminary effect of a short-term intensive preoperative exercise programme for elderly patients scheduled for elective abdominal oncological surgery. Design: Single-blind randomized controlled pilot study. Setting: Ordinary hospital in the Netherlands. Subjects: Forty-two elderly patients (>60...

Preoperative therapeutic exercise in frail elderly scheduled for total hip replacement: A randomized pilot trial

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of therapeutic exercise before total hip replacement in frail elderly. Design: A single-blind, randomized clinical pilot trial. Setting: Outpatient physiotherapy department. Subjects: Frail elderly with hip osteoarthritis awaiting total hip replacement. Interventions: A short ...

The impact of waiting for total joint replacement on pain and functional status: A systematic review

Objective: To systematically describe changes in pain and functioning in patients with osteoarthritis (OA) awaiting total joint replacement (TJR), and to assess determinants of this change. Methods: MEDLINE®, EMBASE, CINAHL® and Cochrane Database were searched through June 2008. The reference lists of eligible publications were reviewed. Studies...