EFFECTIVENESS OF EARLY AMBULATION ON RECOVERY AFTER ELECTIVE ABDOMINAL SURGERY

Background: Prolonged immobility after abdominal surgery increases the risk of postoperative complications and delays recovery. Early ambulation has been proposed as a simple, cost-effective strategy to enhance patient outcomes, yet consistent evidence from randomized controlled trials remains limited. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of early postoperative ambulation in improving recovery time and reducing complications following elective abdominal surgery. Methods: This randomized controlled trial was conducted over 12 months at a tertiary care hospital in Lahore, Pakistan. A total of 128 adult patients undergoing elective abdominal surgery were randomly assigned to either an early ambulation group (mobilized within 6 hours postoperatively) or a standard care group. Primary outcomes included time to bowel function return, hospital stay duration, and time to independent ambulation. Secondary outcomes included rates of pulmonary infection, postoperative ileus, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and pain scores. Data were analyzed using t-tests and chi-square tests, with a significance threshold of p<0.05. Results: Patients in the early ambulation group showed significantly faster recovery: shorter time to first flatus (24.6 ± 6.2 vs. 33.5 ± 7.8 hours), bowel movement (44.1 ± 10.4 vs. 58.3 ± 12.6 hours), and hospital stay (4.8 ± 1.1 vs. 6.3 ± 1.4 days). Complication rates were also lower, particularly for pulmonary infection (4.7% vs. 15.6%) and ileus (6.3% vs. 17.2%). Pain scores decreased more rapidly in the early ambulation group at 24 and 48 hours (p<0.001). Conclusion: Early ambulation significantly improves recovery and reduces postoperative complications in patients undergoing elective abdominal surgery. Routine integration of early mobilization into postoperative protocols is recommended.