Prehabilitation of Frail Surgical Cancer Patients Using Remote Ischemic Preconditioning

Remote Ischemic Preconditioning (RIPC) occurs when a limb is made transiently ischemic (5 minutes) using a simple blood pressure cuff. We are proposing that study participants in the RIPC group perform the intervention daily at home for at least 14 days prior to scheduled surgery. They will inflate a blood pressure cuff on the upper portion of their nondominant arm, inflate it to 225 mmHg for 5 minutes, release the cuff for 5 minutes, and repeat this 5 times (for a total of 45 minutes). A study coordinator will monitor compliance with phone calls and daily log sheets that must be filled out.