Trial of Prehabilitation in Vulnerable Patients Undergoing Cystectomy for Bladder Cancer

The development of clinically relevant and scalable exercise interventions in older cystectomy patients may have an impact upon: Patients: Exercise interventions may improve patient outcomes, including quality of life and avoidance of skilled nursing facilities. Clinicians: Proving the safety and feasibility of targeted interventions in older surgical patients may facilitate the development of clinically relevant preoperative interventions suitable for wider study and implementation. Payers: Improved surgical outcomes among high risk surgical patients will be associated with significant cost savings. Researchers: Targeted and well controlled studies focusing on improving surgical outcomes through exercise may provide insight into relationships between patient factors, surgical stressors and outcomes. Ultimately, such work may lead to novel clinical approaches to optimize patients for surgery. The investigators will study the effects of preoperative exercise training on cystectomy patients, specifically targeting increasing functional capacity and muscular strength. Prior to conducting a more extensive, multi-center, randomized-controlled trial, the feasibility, safety, and initial efficacy of preoperative exercise in cystectomy patients must be determined. To address this issue, the investigators will complete a trial of rehabilitation in cystectomy patients at the University of Michigan.