Pre habilitation refers to preparing a cancer patient physically and mentally before surgery to improve recovery and reduce postoperative complications. Physiotherapy plays a key role in this process by optimizing the patient's physical condition before the operation.
1. Improving Cardiopulmonary Fitness Many major cancer surgeries, especially for esophageal, lung, and gastrointestinal cancers, place significant stress on the
heart and lungs. Preoperative physiotherapy includes aerobic exercises and breathing training to improve lung capacity and overall endurance, which helps reduce ostoperative pulmonary complications.
2. Respiratory Training Breathing exercises such as deep breathing, incentive spirometry, and inspiratory muscle training help strengthen respiratory muscles. This is particularly important before thoracic and upper abdominal surgeries, where the risk of pneumonia or lung collapse after surgery is higher.
3. Enhancing Muscle Strength and Mobility Cancer patients often experience weakness due to disease, poor nutrition, or prior treatments. Physiotherapy programs focus on strength training, flexibility exercises, and mobility training to improve physical reserves before surgery.
4. Reducing Postoperative Complications Patients who undergo structured pre habilitation tend to have lower risk of postoperative complications, shorter hospital stays, and faster recovery compared to those who are not physically conditioned before surgery.
5. Psychological Benefits Engaging in a structured pre habilitation program improves patient confidence, reduces anxiety about surgery, and promotes active participation in recovery. Conclusion
Physiotherapy-based pre habilitation is an important part of modern cancer care. By improving physical fitness, lung function, and muscle strength before surgery, it helps patients tolerate major cancer operations better and recover more quickly afterward .
