Older patients are highly susceptible to the extreme physiological stresses of major surgery and the harmful effects of post-surgical bed rest. Preliminary studies show that physical conditioning prior to surgery, often called prehabilitation, can provide significant benefit to patients including reduced complications, shorter recoveries, and lower costs. However, results have been mixed, largely due to poor measurement and compliance.
Our team has developed a platform to collect data from wearable activity monitors in combination with displaying feedback to patients on existing smartphone technology. In this study, we will focus on elderly patients undergoing major abdominal colorectal surgeries to
- determine if activity feedback impacts overall pre-surgical activity levels
- determine the association between frequency, duration, and timing of pre-surgical activity and clinical outcomes