Postoperative Step Counts Tied to Surgical Recovery - Summary - MDSpire
From the Journals

Postoperative Step Counts Tied to Surgical Recovery

Wearable-measured mobility—but not heart rate variability or wellness scores—was associated with length of stay, complications, and readmissions

  • By

  • Kathryn Wighton

  • May 6, 2026

  • 3 min

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An observational analysis involving 1,965 patients from the All of Us Research Program revealed that higher postoperative step counts, monitored through wearable devices, correlate with shorter hospital stays and reduced complications in adults undergoing inpatient surgeries. Increasing daily steps from 1,000 fewer to 1,000 more was linked to a decrease in hospital stay by 0.68 days and a 6% shorter length of stay per additional 1,000 steps. Notably, while activity levels declined post-surgery, higher step counts were connected with lower rates of complications and readmissions, particularly for high-risk procedures. However, factors like heart rate variability and self-reported wellness showed weaker or no associations with these outcomes.

Original Source(s)

Postoperative Step Counts Tied to Surgical Recovery

  • by Kathryn Wighton

  • May 6, 2026

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