6 Jun 2023 • Research led by the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio evaluated postoperative recovery rates from elective surgery in a study, "Association Between Mobilization and Composite Postoperative Complications Following Major Elective Surgery," published in JAMA Surgery. They found that for patients who underwent major elective surgery, every four minutes of mobilization per monitored hour was inversely associated with postoperative complications and was related to shorter hospitalization times.

• This retrospective observational study included 8653 patients who had elective surgery between February 2017 and October 2020
• Mobilization was assessed over the first 48 postoperative hours with wearable accelerometers, and outcomes were assessed throughout hospitalization
• The primary outcome was a composite of myocardial injury, ileus, stroke, venous thromboembolism, pulmonary complications, and all-cause in-hospital mortality.
• Secondary outcomes included hospital length of stay, cumulative pain scores, and 30-day readmission.
• There was a significant association between postoperative mobilization and the composite outcome for each 4-minute increase in mobilization.
• Mobilization was associated with an estimated median reduction in the duration of hospitalization by 0.12 days for each 4-minute increase in mobilization.
• No associations were seen between mobilization and pain scores or 30-day readmission rates.

The findings indicate that mobilization was associated with a lower hazard for postoperative complications and shorter hospitalization.

Source: JAMA Surgery | Read full story