BACKGROUND: Prehabilitation is gaining popularity in colorectal surgery but lacks high-quality postoperative outcomes data. This meta-analysis explored whether prehabilitation impacts postoperative outcomes. METHODS: In this meta-analysis, compliant with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses, we searched PubMed and Scopus through November 2022. High-quality randomized control trials involving adults who underwent colorectal surgery with/without exercise-based prehabilitation were included. The main outcomes were short-term postoperative morbidity, readmissions, and length of stay. Random-effect meta-analyses were performed, and statistical heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 statistic. RESULTS: Seven high-quality randomized control trials comprising 1,225 patients were included. The median prehabilitation duration was 4 (2 to 4) weeks. Four studies compared prehabilitation and standard of care, and 3 compared prehabilitation and rehabilitation. Exercise-based prehabilitation did not reduce the odds of short-term complications (odds ratio 0.62, 95% confidence interval 0.27 to 1.40, p = 0.25, I2 68%) or readmission (odds ratio 1, 95% confidence interval 0.73 to 1.46, p = 0.85, I2 0%). The prehabilitation group had shorter length of hospital stay (weighted mean difference -0.2, 95% confidence interval -0.25 to -0.14, p < 0.0001, I2 43.3%). Prehabilitation and rehabilitation had similar odds of short-term complications (odds ratio 1.03, 95% confidence interval 0.56 to 1.89, p = 0.91, I2 33%), length of stay (weighted mean difference -0.16, 95% confidence interval -0.47 to 0.16, p = 0.33, I2 59%), and readmission (odds ratio 1.25, 95% confidence interval 0.28 to 5.56, p = 0.77, I2 52%). The only benefit of prehabilitation over rehabilitation was better 6-minute walking distance test results at time of surgery (weighted mean difference -9.4 m; 95% confidence interval -18.04 to 0.79, p = 0.03, I2 42%). CONCLUSION: Prehabilitation provided decreased postoperative length of hospital stay and improved preoperative functional outcomes, but not reduced odds of complications and/or readmissions. Prehabilitation and rehabilitation had similar clinical outcomes.

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