Design: Prospective observational study.

Setting: Tertiary university-affiliated medical center

Patients or Participants: Patients who underwent surgery at the gynecological oncology

Interventions: Patients were asked to wear wristband pedometers for 72 h prior to surgery and post-surgery till discharge from hospital.

Measurements and Main Results: Patient’s demographics, surgical, and post operative outcome were compared according tosurgical complexity: low (n=54), and high (n =24) complexity surgery. Patients’ steps prior to surgery and demographics were not significantly different between the groups and were not found to be associated with patient mobility post-surgery. The average number of steps taken during the first 24 h following surgery was 956 (SD 386) in the low complexity surgery group compared to 70 (SD 38) in the high complexity surgery group, p < 0.001. The Significant difference in steps number between the groups persisted until day 4 post surgery. Length of surgery, estimated blood loss, blood transfusion, ICU admission, indwelling urine catheter day of removal, use of a drain, day of passing stool, visual analogue scale and use of opioids were all significantly increased in the high complexity compared to the low complexity surgery group. On multivariate regression analysis ICU admission, indwelling catheter day of removal and use of a drain were the only significant predictors of reduced mobility.

Conclusion: Monitoring ambulation is feasible and easy, attention to modifiable predictors may improve postoperative mobility with enhanced recovery.