Perioperative medicine & outcomes
Early implementation of exercise to facilitate recovery after elective colorectal surgery—a randomized clinical pilot trial
Authors' conclusion
Early supervised postoperative exercise after elective colorectal surgery was safe and feasible. Although no differences were found for most secondary outcomes, the intervention improved postoperative physical performance. These exploratory findings warrant confirmation in adequately powered randomized trials.
Study context
- Population
- Patients undergoing elective colorectal surgeryrandomized, 30 patients for modified intention-to-treat analysis
- Participants
- 31 patients
- Comparison
- Intervention group vs control group
- Intervention groupn = 16
- Control groupn = 15
- Primary endpoint
- Safety and feasibility
Methodological detailsmodified intention-to-treat analysis, primary outcomes changed prior to final analysis, retrospectively registered
- Modified intention-to-treat analysis
- Primary outcomes changed prior to final analysis
- Retrospectively registered
Primary result
As reported in the abstract
Retention
96.8%
Adherence to the intervention
100%
Secondary outcomes
Physical performance (change in SPPB score from baseline to postoperative assessment)
- Significantly better preservation of physical performance in the intervention group
Time to first bowel movement, handgrip strength, postoperative complications, other secondary outcomes
- No significant between-group differences
Original publication
Early implementation of exercise to facilitate recovery after elective colorectal surgery—a randomized clinical pilot trial. Perioper Med (Lond). Published 16 October 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →