Abstract

Exercise training has been shown to positively affect the maintenance of functional capacity and facilitate recovery from surgery. This thesis proposes that a supervised pre- operative exercise training program would encourage patient compliance, thus maximizing the opportunity to regain functional exercise capacity 4-weeks post-surgery. The supervised group (Group S) received 4 training sessions at the Montreal General Hospital exercise laboratory along with a home-based exercise program during the pre-surgical period and provided daily supervised exercise during the post-surgical hospital stay. The unsupervised group (Group U) received a 4-week home-based exercise program during the pre-surgical period and were not seen by a kinesiologist during the post-surgical in-hospital stay. The exercise programs (both pre and post-surgery) included individualized aerobic, resistance and flexibility exercises. Both groups continued to exercise until 4 weeks post-surgery, after which they returned to the laboratory for evaluation. The primary outcome was functional walking capacity, as assessed by the six-minute walk test (6MWT).