Preoperative rehabilitation

Preoperative preparation and rehabilitation are essential to prepare a person for surgery, to speed up recovery, to keep complications to a minimum and to allow the quickest possible return to everyday life. Operations on the spine and limbs require careful preparation, an assessment of pre- and postoperative rehabilitation and a prognosis of the possible risk. Cooperation between the surgeon, the physiatrist and the anaesthetist makes it possible to assess the anaesthetic risk as well as the length of recovery. The better the preparation, the shorter the recovery. While preparing for the operation itself, it is advisable to learn to use an aid and to go through gait training and transfer exercises for the period immediately before and after surgery.

Among other things, good preoperative preparation also includes educating the patient and their family, and motivating the patient to stop smoking, to lose weight, to take their medicines more reliably and to adhere to the rehabilitation plan. Cooperation with a physiotherapist and a kinesiologist is also essential; they must pass on their direct observations to the doctor and motivate the patient to persevere with the exercises and lifestyle changes.

Careful preoperative preparation reduces the risk of postoperative complications.