In 2007 Dr. Carli conceptualized the prehabilitation program and introduced it at the MUHC for specific surgical procedures. Randomized controlled studies, one case-cohort study, three case reports, four review articles have been published since 2010 in good impact journals.
In 2011, Dr. Carli incorporated a not-for-profit organization called Peri Operative Programme Péri-Opératoire (POP), to raise funds to continue research into the effects of prehabilitation on post-surgical outcomes for patients. The major part of our funding comes from The Friends For The Cure Gala, held every February for the last 6 years.
Since 2011 over 725 adult patients, scheduled for different types of cancer surgery (colorectal, esophageal, thoracic-lung, urology-cystectomy and prostatectomy), major abdominal hernia repair, spine surgery, bariatric surgery, have been seen, optimized and most of them enrolled in research studies. The results of these study showed that 80% of those patients who enrolled in the prehabilitation program returned to preoperative physical fitness 8 weeks after surgery for cancer, many even after 4 weeks.
The MGH surgical prehabilitation program is the only comprehensive one in North America that, as far as we are aware, exists. The recent scientific publications by our group have attracted the attention of media, such as Washington post, National Public Radio – NPR Shots blog, and the Oprah magazine.
The Montreal General Hospital Foundation, as part of their campaign Code Life/Code Vie to raise $100 million, interviewed Dr. Francesco Carli and Dr. Minnella about the health benefits of Peri-Operative Program(POP) prehabilitation program at the Montreal General Hospital, developed to optimize the health of patients facing major surgery. Find out more details in this podcast.
