For a patient awaiting liver transplant, what should be the PRIMARY focus of physical therapy?

• A. Functional mobility
• B. Core strength
• C. Energy conservation
• D. Normalization of tone

Answer: (A)

Maintaining functional mobility is the primary focus for a patient awaiting liver transplant because it directly preserves independence and exercise tolerance needed for the preoperative period and helps prepare the body for major surgery. Chronic liver disease can cause fatigue and deconditioning, so the goal is to keep ambulation, transfers, balance, and ability to perform daily activities as functional as possible. This readiness supports safer postoperative recovery and quicker return to independence.

Core strengthening and tone normalization are important parts of conditioning, but they don’t address the immediate need to move, ambulate, and perform daily tasks under the stress of pre-surgical status. Energy conservation strategies are useful within a broader plan to manage fatigue, yet the overarching aim remains preserving overall functional mobility to endure the transplant process and rehab after surgery.