Background: Surgical resection is the primary treatment modality for colorectal cancer. Prehabilitation is about enhancing the patient's physiological capacity preoperatively to reduce the risk of treatment-related complications. Clear definitions of the modality, content, and duration of prehabilitation, including its components such as nutrition, exercise, and psychological support, are lacking. Some review articles have proposed that a multimodal approach may yield the best overall outcomes, but the clinical efficacy of such an approach requires further exploration.

Objective: This study consisted of a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the effectiveness of multimodal prehabilitation programs for patients undergoing colorectal surgery.

Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library from inception to August 5, 2023, without language or publication period restrictions. The included studies were randomized controlled trials, prospective studies, or retrospective studies that examined the effectiveness of multimodal prehabilitation programs for patients undergoing colorectal surgery. A random-effects model was used for data analysis.

Results: This study included 14 articles that analyzed data from 2314 patients who underwent colorectal cancer surgery. In comparisons against a control group, multimodal prehabilitation significantly reduced the length of hospital stay ([mean difference; MD] = -2.47 days, 95% confidence interval [CI] [-3.56, -1.39]), postoperative complication rate (odds ratio; [OR] = 0.74, 95% CI [0.59, 0.94]), and time to the first passage of flatus (MD = -0.43 days, 95% CI [-0.66, -0.20]).

Conclusion: Multimodal prehabilitation interventions before colorectal cancer surgery reduce hospital stay lengths, lower complication rates, and promote bowel recovery, particularly in older populations.

Keywords: colorectal cancer surgery; older adults; prehabilitation.

© 2025 The Author(s). Journal of the American Geriatrics Society published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The American Geriatrics Society.