An NHS surgeon and social media sensation has suggested a crucial step to take before undergoing surgery that could significantly improve your recovery.
With a staggering 5.3 million TikTok followers and 1.6 million on Instagram, Dr Karan Rajan, is well-known for his informative medical content covering a variety of health topics. In a TikTok video, he highlighted the importance of ‘pre-habilitation’ or ‘prehab’, which he describes as: “If you’re having major surgery doing this one thing can make a huge difference to your outcome.
“It can reduce complication rates. It can reduce how long you spend in hospital after surgery.”
The doctor further explained: “It can decrease your anxiety about surgery, speed up your recovery after surgery and reduces anaesthetic-related complications. It’s called pre-habilitation or prehab, like rehab but you do it before surgery.”
Dr Rajan recommends “15-20 minutes of moderate activity every day” as part of prehab, noting that even walking can suffice. He pointed out that such activity boosts lung capacity, blood glucose control, increases V02 max (the maximum amount of oxygen your body can utilise during intense exercise), and raises your anaerobic threshold, which is when your body transitions from aerobic to anaerobic metabolism during physical exertion.
He concluded that “all these things improve your surgical outcome.” NHS Inform highlighted the benefits of prehab, a concept that involves improving physical and mental wellbeing before undergoing surgery or medical procedures.
The health information website echoes Dr Rajan’s TikTok video claims, stating that prehab can “improve your health before surgery so that you go in stronger”, “prevent complications during surgery or afterwards” and “improve your recovery and the speed of it”. NHS Inform also suggests being as active as possible as part of prehabilitation, advising patients to “aim to get in the best shape possible before surgery. For example, by doing more activity.”
This can “strengthen the lungs”, “help you cope better with anaesthesia”, “lower risks related to your treatment” and “speed up your recovery”, in line with Dr Rajan’s advice. Additionally, the health service recommends cutting down on tobacco, alcohol, and drugs to “help prepare you for surgery and support your recovery.”
It further advises maintaining a healthy weight, noting that losing weight “in a steady and healthy way before surgery can reduce the risk of an operation” and facilitate quicker post-operative recovery, helping patients to regain fitness more rapidly. Dr Rajan’s TikTok clip has amassed more than 53,000 views, 33,000 likes, and 350 comments at the time of writing.
One follower, a physical therapist, agreed wholeheartedly stating: “As a physical therapist, I cannot second this enough. Anything you can do to increase activity prior to surgery can make a huge difference.”
A second user shared their own experience saying: “I did this before radical cystectomy and hysterectomy. Out of hospital in ten days at age 50.”
If an upcoming surgery or medical procedure is leaving you feeling worried, we recommend consulting with a doctor for advice.