Preop CPET Testing and Exercise Training in Colorectal Patients

Colorectal Surgery Preoperative Exercise Training is a study being run by the colorectal surgery team at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and the University of East Anglia to look at the role of exercise before surgery to improve recovery following an operation. Having an operation to remove part of the bowel puts physical stress on the body. We know that training can help the body cope with physical stress in the same way that an athlete trains before a competition. We hypothesise that the body may recover more quickly if it is trained prior to an operation with regular and simple exercises. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) is used to evaluate the function of the lungs, heart and muscles at rest and during exercise. CPET testing is often done as part of standard pre-operative assessment in many hospitals for patients before undergoing major surgery. Some studies have demonstrated that CPET can be used to predict outcomes following surgery (such as time taken till discharge, complication rates). The study consists of two parts: Study 1) CPET variables to predict outcomes in surgery - patients will undergo a CPET test to determine baseline fitness. Blood tests will be taken around the time of surgery to examine whether biochemical markers in the bloodstream (when used in combination with results from the CPET test) can predict outcomes and recovery following colorectal surgery. Patients will then be monitored to assess their speed of recovery and rate of complications following surgery. This will enable us to determine which CPET variables or combination of variables are most useful in the prediction of post-operative complications following colorectal surgery. 2\) The second study will consist of an exercise intervention involving several sessions of supervised exercise in a laboratory. Before and at the end the exercise training regime, CPET measurements will be taken to see if fitness has improved with exercise. This part of of the study is to determine if it is feasible to implement a structured, supervised exercise programme for patients awaiting elective colorectal cancer surgery. The results of this study will be used to inform a larger randomised controlled trial to examine the influence of exercise on CPET variables and postoperative outcomes.

Sex

All

Minimum age

18 Years

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Written informed consent
2. Colorectal malignancy suitable for curative resection, no metastatic disease
3. Elective procedure, ability to undergo CPET testing
4. American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I-III

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Emergency surgery
2. Unable to participate due to any of the following absolute contraindications to CPET testing: acute MI in past 3 - 5 days; Unstable angina; Uncontrolled arrhythmias; Syncope; Active endocarditis; Symptomatic severe aortic stenosis; Acute PE; DVT; Uncontrolled asthma; Pulmonary oedema; Room air desaturation at rest \<85%; Respiratory failure; Cognitive impairment leading to inability to cooperate
3. Distant metastases on CT
4. American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) physical status IV