Exercise Training to Prevent Hernias After Colon Surgery

This research is testing whether specific abdominal muscle training can help prevent parastomal hernias — bulges that form around a surgical opening called a stoma — in people who have undergone colon cancer surgery. About half of patients who receive this type of surgery develop these hernias, which can cause discomfort and affect daily life. Researchers want to see if targeted exercises started before surgery and continued for a year afterward can reduce this risk.

Many people with this type of surgery develop hernias that cause pain and problems with their stoma function, but there is limited scientific evidence about whether exercise can prevent them. This study aims to answer whether the treatment works and could become standard care for all patients undergoing this surgery.