Prehabilitation Program

Prehabilitation is a multidisciplinary strengthening program that helps to improve a patient’s strength before surgery and recovery time post-operative. The program includes evaluation, education, nutrition, exercise and stress management. Our clinic has expanded prehab to a multi-modal holistic approach to treat the muscle mass loss, which is common in sedentary and ill patients. Studies have shown the best time for these interventions are in the preoperative period before surgery.

At Ochsner Health, our team works together to create an individualized plan to not only cure our patient’s disease but to improve their functional recovery. Patients are typically sent to the Prehab program at a minimum of 4 weeks before their surgery. The components of the program include:

Nutrition, and referral to a registered dietitian, if needed
Activity evaluation, and a physical therapist referral to create an individualized plan
Stress management and assessments, such as breathing techniques and mindfulness
Sleep evaluation
Health optimizations, such as smoking cessation and the reduction or elimination of use of drugs/noxious substances.
Disease specific education

Our team treats a wide variety of patients, which include upper GI cancer, colorectal cancer, pancreatic and esophageal cancer, head and neck, and chemotherapy patients. The goal of the program is to:

Decrease inflammation
Increase ability to build muscle
Increase muscle strength
Reduce stress through proven activities that reduce anxiety and depression
Empower patients to regain some control of their condition

Our Prehabilitation patients are benefiting from clinical trials and research at Ochsner Health. Click the links below to learn more about the different studies.

Patient referrals and transfers are critically important, and we want to make it easy for referring providers and their staff. Clinic Concierge is our clinic referral line for physicians, provides fast and easy access for referring patients for clinic appointments. Referring physicians can call Clinic Concierge or place orders electronically using Ochsner Provider Connect or call 1-855-312-4190

Siobhan M Trotter, DNP, APRN, AGNP-C
- Program Founder and Director
Xinyi “Cathy” Luo, MD- General Surgery Resident
- Program Coordinator and Clinical Research Associate
Brian Moore, MD
- ENT Surgeon, Director of Ochsner Cancer Institute, Associate Medical Director of South Shore region
John S. Bolton, MD
- Surgical Oncology, Upper Gastrointestinal, Chairman Emeritus of Department of Surgery
Nathan Bolton, MD
- Surgical Oncology, Upper Gastrointestinal
Russell Brown, MD, FACS
- Surgical Oncology, Upper Gastrointestinal
Charles Whitlow, MD
- Colon and Rectal Surgery, Chairman of Colon & Rectal Surgery, Associate Medical Director for Surgical Services
Jennifer Paruch, MD
- Colon and Rectal Surgery
Diogo Torres, MD
- Gynecology Oncology
Natalie Bzowej, MD
- Hepatology
Aimee G'sell, APRN, ANP-C, CDE
- Surgical Oncology, Upper Gastrointestinal
Victoria Kennedy, PT
- Program Supervisor
Emily Straub, PT
- Physical Therapist
Judy Landry, MS, BSN, RN
- Upper GI Surgical and Medical Oncology
Shantell Butler, RN
- Lead Registered Nurse, Surgical Oncology, Upper Gastrointestinal
Marisa Doran - Medical Student
- Medical Student
Sinead Brenner - Medical Student
- Medical Student