Perimo
Improving support for vulnerable patients before and after major surgery
Improving support for vulnerable patients before and after major surgery
Major abdominal and thoracic surgeries are always associated with a high risk of postoperative complications. What if we could reduce that risk?  Joost Klaase, professor and surgeon at the UMCG, is a avid advocate of prehabilitation. Prehabilitation seeks to prevent or diminish the impact of complications through increased fitness levels before surgery.
Patients undergoing these major surgeries at the UMCG are screened for several risk factors, such as reduced fitness, impaired nutritional status, low mental resilience and substance use, after which a personal training programme is developed. This way, patients can work on their fitness levels while awaiting surgery.  

At-home training

For vulnerable patients, the threshold to actively participate in prehabilitation can be high. To achieve increased fitness in all patients, the UMCG offers at-home training. Using specially developed exercise bikes, remote prehabilitation is possible. In the newly started Perimo project, a team of researchers will work on further personalisation and improved ease of use of the bikes. The project will contribute to a shared goal: helping patients return to at least the level of functioning they were used to before the surgical procedure.  

UMCG Workpackages

The UMCG is involved in two work packages of the Perimo project:

  1. Developing a new prehabilitation programme for the specific group of patients studied in the project. Patient data will be used to optimise the programme in a data-driven way. The programme will then be implemented in Ziekenhuis Nij Smellinghe.
  2. Developing of an in-house fitness test centre. The goal is to perform cardio-pulmonary fitness tests, such as a Steep Ramp Test and 30-Second Sit-to-Stand Test in patients with cancer. The tests will be administered during their prehabilitation programme, but also after surgical treatment and during follow-up.  

Consortium

The project partners UMCG, Hanzehogeschool Groningen, Ziekenhuis Nij Smellinghe, Umaco ProCare BV (lead partner), aXtion BV and Lode Holding BV, together form a strong consortium within which all knowledge and expertise is available to bring this project to a successful conclusion. 

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Funding

The Perimo study is ongoing and is financed by the Just Transition Funds (JTF) and co-financed by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.