Bariatric Prehabilitation
A structured pre-surgery programme of diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes that prepares patients physically and mentally for bariatric procedures.
Plain English
Patient-Friendly Explanation
Bariatric prehabilitation is a structured programme of diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes completed before weight loss surgery. It helps patients become physically and mentally prepared for their procedure, reducing surgical risks and establishing healthy habits that last long after surgery. Most programmes last 2 to 4 weeks and include a low-calorie diet to shrink the liver, making surgery safer and easier to perform.
Medical
Clinical Definition
Bariatric prehabilitation is a multimodal preoperative intervention combining a very-low-calorie diet (VLCD, typically 800-1200 kcal/day), supervised physical activity, smoking cessation, and psychological assessment. Its primary objective is to reduce liver volume by 10-20% through glycogen depletion and hepatic steatosis reduction, which improves laparoscopic visualisation of the gastro-oesophageal junction. Secondary benefits include improved cardiorespiratory fitness and early postoperative mobilisation.
Key Insight
Why It Matters
Prehabilitation significantly reduces surgical complications, shortens hospital stays, and improves long-term weight loss outcomes. Dr Joseph Wang and the Accord Medical team incorporate prehabilitation protocols as a critical first step in every surgical weight management journey to maximise patient safety and results.
Sources
Reviewed against standard medical references.
Medically reviewed by
Family Physician & Registered Acupuncturist, Accord Medical Clinic. MBBS (NUS), Graduate Diploma in Family Medicine (NUS), Graduate Diploma in Acupuncture (Singapore College of TCM).
Last reviewed: August 2026
This page is general health education, not medical advice. Whether any treatment is appropriate for you is a decision made in consultation after assessment.