Association of nursing-documented ambulation with length of stay following total laparoscopic hysterectomy for benign gynecologic disease

OBJECTIVE: The objective was to examine the association of postoperative physical activity with length of stay in patients who received total laparoscopic hysterectomy for benign gynecologic disease. METHODS: The case group was composed of 70 patients who entered a critical pathway for elective total laparoscopic hysterectomy from 2009 to 2012 and were discharged behind schedule. The control group was selected from patients who were discharged on schedule, and matched to cases using 1:3 ratio propensity score matching. We compared the number of nursing-documented ambulation of the case group with that of control group. RESULTS: Year of surgery, age, body mass index, endometriosis, systemic disease, previous abdominal surgery and current medication were well balanced between case and control groups. The number of patients with nursing-documented ambulation in case group (19%) was not different from that in control group (11%). CONCLUSION: Postoperative physical activity measured by nursing-documented ambulation was not associated with length of stay in patients who underwent an elective total laparoscopic hysterectomy for benign gynecologic diseases.