Activity Tracking After Surgery: Does It Correlate With Postoperative Complications?

Background Postoperative ambulation is an important tenet in enhanced recovery programs. We quantitatively assessed the correlation of decreased postoperative ambulation with postoperative complications and delays in gastrointestinal function. Methods Patients undergoing major abdominal surgery were fitted with digital ankle pedometers yielding continuous measurements of their ambulation. Primary endpoints were the overall and system-specific complication rates, with secondary endpoints being the time to first passage of flatus and stool, the length of hospital stay, and the rate of readmission. Results 100 patients were enrolled. We found a significant, independent inverse correlation between the number of steps on the first and second postoperative days (POD1/2) and the incidence of complications as well as the recovery of GI function and the likelihood of readmission (P < .05). POD2 step count was an independent risk factor for severe complications (P = .026). Discussion Digitally quantified ambulation data may be a prognostic biomarker for the likelihood of severe postoperative complications.