Prehabilitation for Breast Reconstruction Surgery: A Practical and Evidence-based Guide

Background

Prehabilitation, the systematic optimization of physical, nutritional, and psychosocial health before surgery, is well established in other surgical specialties but remains underused and inconsistently defined in breast reconstruction. Patients pursuing reconstruction frequently have modifiable vulnerabilities, including malnutrition, sarcopenia, impaired glycemic control, chronic pain, sleep disturbance, anxiety, and depression, which are associated with higher complication rates, delayed functional recovery, and worse quality of life.