Thinking back, I realized that building pre-surgery strength meant taking one step at a time . I soon learned that there was no time for hopeless thoughts and negative thinking.
—— Glynis

Why Prepare for Surgery?

When we talk about surgical experience, everyone is unique. But your outcome after surgery largely depends on your pre-surgery health status. People who have healthy habits usually have a better and faster recovery. That means, you can play an important role in your own recovery.​
It’s never too late to start adopting healthy lifestyles. Starting now, you just need to take one step at a time to gradually improve your physical and mental wellness. By making healthy choices each day before bowel surgery, you can better prepare yourself for the best outcome.
While everyone is different, it is certainly possible to get through surgery and recovery without a great deal of pain or disruption to your life.
—— Paul

What this website offers

The purpose of this website is to provide you with a starting point to learn more about your choices for ‘prehab’ before bowel surgery, and how you can stack the odds for a good outcome in your favour. ‘Prehab’ means strengthening your body and mind before bowel surgery to help you get better faster.
 
The foundation of ‘prehab’ is patient education about key health habits, or lifestyle factors, you can practise to help you best prepare for bowel surgery. In addition, you can also access self-care aids, find ways to connect with others, and/or request active coaching support to help you adopt recommended health habits.

All resources and links provided for you are expert-vetted and evidence-based.

How it Works

  • Read about, and adopt, healthy practices to help you prepare for bowel surgery:
    • quit smoking
    • eat well & limit alcohol 
    • be / stay active
    • practise coping strategies. ​ 
  • Find ways you can connect with other patients for peer support by clicking here.
  • Get personalised information and active support from our multidisciplinary team to help you adopt the behaviour(s) you desire. Please contact us to let us know you wish more information on self-care support.
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This website is designed for patients of St. Paul's Hospital who have planned abdominal surgery. It is strictly for informational purposes to support self-care in preparation for bowel surgery. The information provided is 'as is' without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability, lifestyle change for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.