Becker's Spine Review reports on an a study from HSS's Lifestyle Medicine Program found it was effective for elective orthopedic surgery patients led by Heidi Prather, DO, physiatrist at HSS. 

The study looked at early outcomes for 54 patients who enrolled in the program between March 2022 and December 2023. About 90% of patients had two or more lifestyle-related chronic diseases.

The program supports patients having scheduled orthopedic surgery, and patients set personal goals to improve sleep, pain, function and overall health. The program focuses on "six pillars of lifestyle medicine."

Of the 54 patients, 41 of them had surgery scheduled, and 93% of them improved their health on time. Thirteen other patients were referred to the program to qualify for elective surgery, and 85% of them could proceed with it. Collectively, 91% of the entire group had surgery after enrolling in the program.

"We were surprised at how quickly patients could make lifestyle changes," said Dr. Prather. “Change is really hard, so the fact that our intensive program achieved such strong results is amazing. We anticipate that attaining these personal health goals will lead to improved post-surgical outcomes,” continued Dr. Prather. 

The findings were published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine.

Read the full article at beckersspine.com.