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Home workouts before surgery may boost recovery in frail seniors

NCT ID NCT03964363

Disease control Sponsor: Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 22, 2026 · Last updated Jul 23, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This trial tests whether a simple, home-based exercise program before elective surgery can improve recovery in frail older adults. Participants receive an exercise booklet and perform strength, cardiovascular, and breathing exercises on their own. The goal is to see if this low-cost approach reduces complications, shortens hospital stays, and improves well-being after surgery.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
unsupervised home-based physical prehabilitation (exercise program)
What this could lead to
If effective, this low-cost home exercise program could become a standard way to help frail older adults recover faster after surgery, reducing complications and hospital stays.
What could go wrong
The exercises are unsupervised, so adherence and proper form may vary. The trial is still testing whether this approach truly improves recovery compared to usual care.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

512 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

May 2019

Finished

Jan 2026

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

65 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * pre-frail or frail according to (Longitudinal Urban Cohort Ageing Study) LUCAS-functional index * scheduled for elective surgery * planned ward admission for at least 24h after surgery Exclusion Criteria: * Refusal of participation * Presentation less than 2 weeks prior to scheduled procedure * Pre-existing pronounced immobility (wheelchair bound, paresis of both arms or both legs) * Minor surgical interventions such as small excisions of superficial tissues, small interventions for haemorrhoids, curettage, gastroscopy

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Frailty Postoperative Complications

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Frail elderly syndrome

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Agaplesion Diakonieklinikum Hamburg

    Hamburg, Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, 20259, Germany

  • Rotkreuzklinikium München

    München, Bavaria, 80634, Germany

  • University Medical Center Eppendorf

    Hamburg, Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, 20247, Germany

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