Multimodal prehabilitation intervention for patients on in-center hemodialysis waitlisted for kidney transplantation – a feasibility pilot study
Co-Applicant(s): Daniel Santa-Mina, Asma Bilgasem, Wajiha Ghazi, Charles Cook
Lay Abstract
More than half of the kidney transplant candidates are frail and inactive. Frailty and inactivity are associated with longer hospital stay and more complications after transplant. Poor physical functioning and these complications lower quality of life of these patients. Prehabilitation (prehab) programs support patients with exercise, diet, and stress management. They improve the success of different surgeries.
We know that exercise benefits patients with kidney failure, but we do not know if prehab for waitlisted patients on dialysis would reduce complications after transplant. Currently, exercise is not part of the standard care of kidney transplant candidates.
In this project, we will test if a prehab program can be successfully provided to patients wait listed for kidney transplant, who are treated with hemodialysis in hospital-based dialysis units. Participants will exercise during the dialysis treatments using stationary bicycles. They will also get help with diet, and counseling to help manage stress.
We expect that we can successfully provide this program and participants will like this support. As next step, we will test if this program improves the physical and emotional health of patients before and after transplant.
