Patients who take up walking after surgery can significantly reduce the risk of complications and being readmitted to hospital, research suggests.
Researchers found that for every additional 1,000 steps taken per day after an operation, the odds of complications fell by 18 per cent, the risk of readmission dropped by 16 per cent and hospital stays were shortened by 6 per cent.
The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, analysed data from nearly 2,000 patients undergoing inpatient surgery. The link was consistent across different types of surgery – regardless of a patient's overall health status.
Importantly, the researchers found that factors such as a patient's initial heart rate and self-reported wellness scores did not predict better outcomes after surgery. Experts say this suggests walking itself plays a direct role in recovery, rather than simply reflecting how healthy a patient was before their operation took place.
'It's a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation,' said Professor Timothy Pawlik, lead author of the study and chair of surgery at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in America. 'People who feel better are naturally more likely to be up and around. However, the signal is so strong that it suggests step count is not just a marker of wellness but a key component of it.'
'Seeing a patient's step count drop can be an early indicator to intervene, perhaps by involving physical therapy or checking in more frequently.'
Experts believe the growing body of evidence could change the way patients are monitored and treated after surgery. 'We tell patients that they need to get up and walk after an operation, but we don't have a good sense of how much they're actually moving,' Professor Pawlik added. 'Wearables [such as a smartwatch or Fitbit] give us an objective, continuous readout. Instead of asking how you feel, we can see that you're up and moving, which is a very actionable signal of how your recovery is progressing.'
