A pilot study: The association between physical activity level using by accelerometer and postoperative complications after hepatic resection.

Recently, accelerometers measuring physical activity level have been available to the public. In the present study, it was examined whether the accelerometer could evaluate postoperative outcomes for 12 patients subjected to hepatic resection from August-November 2016. The association was evaluated between the changing pattern of activity level until the postoperative day (POD) 7 and the occurrence of postoperative complications. The median age of patients was 79 years (range, 58-85). Postoperative complications were identified in 6 patients. The activity level in patients with complications was low from POD 1 and was significantly lower than patients without complications following POD 6. The changing pattern of activity level with all included patients could be divided into the following 3 types: Increase type, bell curve type and flat type. Patients without complications exhibited an accelerated increase of postoperative activity level, categorized as increase type. Bell curve type and flat type demonstrated delay of recovery in postoperative activity levels, and were suggested to be associated with the occurrence of postoperative complications. These findings may provide rationale for larger sample studies to evaluate whether physical activity level measured via accelerometer may be a surrogate marker for postoperative complications.