"Beyond The Operating Room: Physiotherapy Techniques for Abdominal Surgery Rehabilitation"

Abstract

Laparotomy is now an integral component of the modern surgical practice from simple elective appendicitis to complex oncological operations. However, with the years, the operative risks have been minimized by the advancement in surgical procedures, but the postoperative period is crucial for the patient’s healing and subsequent physiotherapy. This phase includes concerns like pain management, complications related to immobility, and the use of multiple approaches to improve the patient’s outcome. Today, physiotherapy is considered one of the critical steps in the postoperative care of patients who have undergone abdominal surgery. They are the promotion of early mobility to avoid complications such as muscle atrophy and thromboembolism, pain management that does not involve the use of opioids, and physical therapy to enable patients to regain their mobility and hence have a better quality of life. In addition, physiotherapy addresses the psychological and emotional aspects of the patient’s state and guarantees the patient’s adherence to the proposed therapy. This review article is intended to describe the modern challenges and concerns in the rehabilitation of patients after abdominal surgery and to emphasize the role of physiotherapy in improving the results of the patients. Therefore, the implementation of EBP by physiotherapists is crucial in enhancing the outcomes of postoperative patients and the reduction of the overall costs of health care since the patients stay longer in the hospital and are prone to complications. Stressing the necessity of early intervention and individualized approach, this paper demonstrates the potential of physiotherapy interventions to provide comprehensive and person-centered rehabilitation after abdominal surgery.