CABGpreHAB - a Feasibility Study Protocol

Patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD) awaiting coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery often face challenges like advanced age, frailty, comorbidities, and physical inactivity. These factors, combined with the physiological and psychological stress of surgery, can hinder postoperative recovery. Traditionally, strategies to improve surgical outcomes focus on the intra- and postoperative periods. However, the pre-surgery waiting period offers a "window of opportunity" for prehabilitation, which aims to enhance patients' functional capacity through exercise, nutrition, and psychological support. The CABGpreHAB feasibility study evaluates the feasibility of a home-based multimodal prehabilitation intervention for patients awaiting elective CABG surgery. This randomized pilot study compares the intervention plus usual care to usual care alone, assessing feasibility outcomes like recruitment, retention, attrition, fidelity, and adherence. The study aims to optimize a subsequent full-scale randomized controlled trial (RCT) and improve patient outcomes by leveraging the pre-surgery period for prehabilitation.