ANZUP 2017 – Prof Bente Thoft Jensen
Prof Bente Thoft Jensen discusses the advancements in prehabiliatation prior to radical cystectomy.Talking Urology podcast transcript
ANZUP 2017 Interviews - Kath Schubach and Bente Thoft Jensen
Kath Schubach: Thanks Bente for joining us and welcome to Australia. I hope you’re having a good time at the ANZUP conference.
Bente: Thank you for inviting me.
Kath: Can you just give us some highlights of what’s happening with the prehabilitation and radical cystectomy patients?
Bente: Actually, the idea of prehabilitation is rather new and is actually now after showing results from a randomized control trial we did in Denmark between 2011 and 2013, it’s now become sort of standard care. One year ago, we introduced a pre-cystectomy academy where we actually in the program on the academy have physical exercises. We introduce preoperative stoma education and we introduce preoperative nutritional education.
Kath: That sounds really good because there hasn’t been a lot of research done in bladder cancer patients, so it’s something that’s long been needed in that group of patients. I know personally that you have had an Australian nurse over to Denmark to have a look at what you’re doing and could you just elaborate on how you’re collaborating with her?
Bente: It’s correct. We had the honor to host Evie Merton for a one-week fellowship at Aarhus University Hospital and she was interested in the ERAS program, the enhanced recovery after surgery program on bladder cancer. She had heard about we sort of extended the ERAS program not only to the postoperative aspect, but also include preoperative aspects. She was actually following our nurses and specialized nurses in stoma care and the physiotherapists who were doing the introduction to the physical program. Since Evie have been visiting Aarhus, I heard from her and from some of her colleagues that there was more focus on prehabilitation, also post-habilitation in Australia, of course, especially around the area where Evie is active. But I think the good measures have also come to Adelaide where they are trying hard to introduce the idea of enhanced recovery in the bladder cancer pathway. It seems to be sort of implemented in the colorectal area in Adelaide but now they are trying to focus on the bladder cancer pathway because it is rather sort of underestimated discipline in nursing care.
Kath: I think that’s great and it just shows that we’re getting some really strong collaboration between international associations and I think that can only be good for nursing.
Bente: Absolutely.
Kath: Thanks a lot Bente.
Bente: You’re welcome.