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Peri Operative Programme Péri-Opératoire(POP)
Newsletter August 2021
PERI OPERATIVE PROGRAMME PÉRI OPÉRATOIRE (POP)TEAM 2020-2021

PRESIDENTS REPORT
POP has had a very challenging and rewarding year. To follow the Ministry of Health Guidelines, we have had to reduce the number of patients seen in the POP offices, in order to take the time to sterilize all equipment between patients. Masks are worn by all. However, at the same time, several students working on their Master and PhD are developing a very successful telehealth program, where patients are seen at the initial appointment and then for the pre-op, the 4-week and 8-week assessments. During the program, exercises and any health issues (nutrition and psycho-social support) are dealt with virtually (using Zoom and wrist wearables) or by phone. We continue to work mostly in colorectal, esophageal and lung cancer, peripheral vascular disease and hernias. Time is split between clinical and research patients.
The Prehabilitation group has receive research and clinical funding now from several sources, including the CIHR, MITACS, Louise and Alan Edwards Foundation, Montreal General Hospital Foundation, and several appreciative patients who have followed the program.
We are pleased to announce the achievements of several of our students: Dr. Vanessa Ferreira was granted her PhD and is now working for a pharmaceutical company as a consultant. Anh Thy Le Quang received her Master in Physical Exercise, from the University of Montreal and is going to be working again for POP with Dr. Stephanie Chevalier. Dr. Miquel Coca is presently working with POP and doing a Fellowship in Peri-Operative Medicine, in the department of Anesthesia. Sarah Atoui is continuing to work on her PhD in Experimental Surgery, studying prehabilitation and its effects on sleep. Kenny Drummond has finished his Master in April 2021, with a focus on esophageal cancer and prehabilitation. Genevieve Lambert has completed her Master on Teleprehabilitation.
We are happy to report that Chelsia Gillies received her PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Calgary. She has come back to POP as a Post-Doctoral Fellow. She leads the nutrition research at POP.
Jade St-Pierre joined POP last year and is currently working with us on a PhD in esophageal cancer and prehabilitation.
We sadly say goodbye to Hamza Qureshi who has been working as a kinesiologist with us for the past 2 years. He is moving on, continuing to pursue his career in kinesiology.

We are extremely lucky to still have a great team of clinicians who work alongside the POP Program, namely, Dr. Amal Bississow, Dr. Enrico Minnella, Dr. Gabriele Baldini, Dr. Miquel Coca, Dr. Celena Scheede-Bergdahl and Dr. Janius Tsang. Although Dr. Minnella has had to return to Milan this year after completing a Fellowship in Anaesthesia, he is still very much a part of the POP team, interacting virtually with us. We are hopeful that soon, he will return to Montreal and join the POP team again.

We are still working with a website specialist, Raphael Gotlieb of PreCare Inc., to improve the POP website, to give patients and practitioners the relevant information to make informed decisions about the prehabilitation program. We are very pleased with the results of Raphael’s intervention. Our new website is located at: www.prehabilitation.ca.
We have started negotiations with the MUHC to recognize the POP clinic and become an integral part of clinical care.
CONFÉRENCES ET ATELIERS
Last November 2020 and March 21, 2021, we held the third and fourth in our series of workshops, which were fully attended, with a little overflow of attendees (from the USA, Europe and Canada)! It covered all the aspects of setting up a prehabilitation program, included the methodology of running the program. All attendees were very happy with the workshop.
Again, the 4th World Conference, that was supposed to have been held in Barcelona, Spain, during June 2020 and then 2021, had to be canceled due to the pandemic. Hopefully, it will be held the summer of 2022. All depends on the outcome of the pandemic.
This year, we managed to set up a series of 16 webinars, covering the various aspects of the prehabilitation program. Many of the members of the POP team participated in giving the webinars, which many attendees followed over the Winter, Spring and Summer.
We initiated a series of lunchtime Zoom meetings on Wednesdays, inviting speakers from all over the world to present their work activities and teachings on aspects of prehabilitation.
FUNDRAISING EVENTS 2021
Unfortunately, this year, we were not able to hold any fundraising events because of the pandemic. We have been at the mercy of some very conscientious donors, who have helped us through this difficult period.
DONS
We recognize and want to acknowledge, with thanks, the special donors, that continually support us, including the Louise and Alan Edwards Foundation, The Panarello Family, the Montreal General Hospital Foundation and Abbott. Our sponsors, Abbott and Immunotec, continue to supply us with the very needed nutritional requirements of the program. To all of you, we are eternally grateful.
We cannot run this program without your help. To provide the best of patient care during an incredibly stressful time prior to surgery, we need to have the right kind of professionals and equipment to take care of all patients that require our program. Please consider donating to POP and giving patients the best care possible.
DONNEZ GÉNÉREUSEMENT AFIN DE SOUTENIR
LE PROGRAMME PÉRIOPÉRATOIRE (POP)
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