Physiotherapy Prehabilitation in Patients Undergoing Cardiac or Thoracic Surgery

Preoperative rehabilitation or "Prehabilitation" can be defined as "the process of enhancing the functional capacity of the individual to enable him or her to withstand a stressful event". Prehabilitation is a relatively new concept with emerging evidence demonstrating a reduction in length of hospital stay and disability, improved functional capacity and quality of life as well as fewer peri-operative complications compared to usual care. Patients who are awaiting Cardiothoracic surgery are often fearful of being physically active, however extended periods of physical inactivity lead to a loss of muscle mass, physical deconditioning and pulmonary complications which can in turn lead to decreased quality of life, higher levels of morbidity, increased hospital length of stay and even fatality. Based on literature supporting the positive effects of physical activity, physiotherapy prehabilitation aims to enhance functional exercise capacity in patients undergoing Cardiothoracic surgery and hence minimising the risk of postoperative morbidity and enhancing postsurgical recovery. Although there is evidence for prehabilitation in cardiothoracic specialties these are mainly within heart failure patients therefore not comparable to patients undergoing CABG or lobectomy surgeries. The aim of this study is to determine whether a home based preoperative prehabilitation programme improves patients' functional capacity, as measured by a 6 minute walk test (6MWT) prior to surgery and improve post surgical recovery and recovery of functional capacity earlier. This study will compare functional capacity levels from baseline (at time of being accepted for surgery) and on the day of admission for surgery. Secondary aims are to determine functional capacity prior to discharge from hospital and at 6-8 week follow up appointment. Increasing maximal tidal volumes preoperatively would in turn decrease the chance of atelectasis postoperatively thereby decreasing pulmonary complications. Time to achieve discharge criteria from physiotherapy and total post-operative hospital length of stay will be assessed. Patient health related satisfaction will be assessed using the EQ-5D. The endpoint of this study will be when the patient returns for their routine 6-8 week follow up appointment and completes final 6MWT, tidal volume (TV) measurement and EQ-5D.