Preoperative levels of physical activity can be increased in pancreatectomy patients via a remotely monitored, telephone-based intervention: A randomized trial

Background: Higher levels of preoperative physical activity are associated with improved outcomes after pancreatectomy, but it remains unclear if preoperative activity levels are modifiable. Methods: Patients undergoing pancreatectomy were randomized 1:1 to a telephone-based intervention at least one week before surgery or to control. All patients wore wearable devices to remotely collect physical activity and clinical data. Results: In total, 152 patients were enrolled and 83 completed the study (41 intervention and 42 control). The intervention group walked 4568 (SD 2522) average daily steps pre-intervention, which increased to 5071 (SD 3055) post-intervention (p = 0.042) (11.0% increase). The control group walked 5260 (SD 2795) average daily steps. There were no differences in the rate of severe complications between groups (intervention 22.9% vs control 20.5%, p = 0.807). Conclusions: A telephone-based intervention increased average daily step count in patients scheduled to undergo pancreatectomy, demonstrating physical activity is a modifiable target for surgical prehabilitation protocols.