Over 7,500 steps per day done preop leads to better outcomes

Editor's Note

Active daily habits–specifically getting more than 7,500 steps a day before a surgical procedure–cuts the odds of complications within 90 days after discharge in half, regardless of the complication of a patient’s operation, MedicalXpress October 20 reports. The findings were presented at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress 2023. 

Some highlights of the study include:

• Typically, 30% of patients experience postoperative complications, about half of which occur after discharge.
• Researchers analyzed health data for 475 people participating in a National Institutes of Health program who used a Fitbit device that measured their daily steps. 
• Participants’ operations included general surgery, orthopedic surgery, and neurosurgery. They were an average age of 57 years old, and 74.7% were women.
• After adjusting for various factors like BMI, sex, race, and complexity of the operation, researchers found that the odds of experiencing a complication were 51% lower (odds ratio 0.49) if patients had Fitbit data showing they had walked more than 7,500 steps per day before surgery.

Researchers say that the findings could help them monitor patients at high risk using Fitbit tools and modify physical activity before and after surgery to drive better outcomes.