PreHab Support Initiative

When it comes to successful surgery outcomes, 50% of this success is due to the surgeon and 50% is the result of a patient’s commitment to recovery, starting with PreHab.

PreHab has many advantages, including:

• Familiarising patients with post-surgical equipment such as walking aids and crutches.
• Providing advice to promote recovery and early exposure to post-surgery exercises.
• Reducing the stress and apprehension on discharge associated with the unfamiliar.
• A reduction in the amount of rehabilitation required after surgery.
• An easier transition back to a functional and independent lifestyle.

The PreHab Support Initiative includes:

• Education, support and exercise to increase strength, improve range of motion and reduce inflammation to significantly improve recovery.
• Engagement with the treating specialists prior to surgery to align approach, including exercise prescription and grading and medical case conferencing if or as required.
• Psychosocial education to limit potential for secondary overlay to impact return to work.
• Employee assessment at the home.
• Four to six weeks of intervention, with frequency tailored to each employee’s needs.
• Biological/physiological education to limit potential for pain, dysfunction or fear avoidance with upgrading capacity, return to work and graded exposure to everyday activities.
• Nutrition and diet advice to minimise load on joints and enhance recovery.
• Functional education for the safe, sustained performance of activities of daily living.
• Encouraging family support through appointing a recovery coach to assist with the PreHab and recovery process.
• Access to online education and training through Physiapp.
• Progression to our Recovery and Wellness Initiative (RAWI) post-surgery in collaboration with surgery protocol.

Employees requiring surgery benefit greatly from PreHab, with the ideal timeframe for assessment four to six weeks prior to surgery. Employees awaiting arthroscopy, joint replacement, spinal fusion, discectomy or soft tissue repair surgeries would benefit from the PreHab support initiative.