[Is the procedure or the patient decisive for prehabilitation?]

Various studies on structured prehabilitation programs indicate positive effects on performance status, postoperative complication rates and possibly overall survival in patients with gastrointestinal carcinomas. Older and multimorbid patients in particular could benefit from a trimodal approach that addresses physical fitness, nutritional status and mental health. Challenges exist in the possibly limited ability to participate due to pre-existing physical or mental limitations. Previous studies have shown reduced complication rates and shorter hospital stays for this patient group but the data remain heterogeneous and limited. Future research should further investigate the benefits for specific patient groups and different procedures as well as the long-term oncological outcome.