The Impact of Prehabilitation on Postoperative Outcomes in Colorectal Cancer: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Prehabilitation significantly improves medium-term physical function and reduces severe complications after colorectal cancer surgery, with its optimal functional benefit emerging beyond the 4-week postoperative period. The effect is context-dependent, supporting a stratified implementation strategy: intensive programs for fitter patients and standardized programs for broader, frailer populations. These findings advocate for integrating prehabilitation into continuous "prehab-to-rehab" pathways with structured longer-term follow-up. Future research should standardize multitimepoint assessments and confirm the translation of functional gains into long-term outcomes.