Study of Early Postoperative Exercise and Recovery in Women Undergoing Minimally Invasive Pelvic Organ Prolapse Surgery Using Accelerometer Monitoring
Led by NICHD Pelvic Floor Disorders Network · Updated on 2026-04-27
288
Participants Needed
7
Research Sites
39 weeks
Total Duration
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
Researchers are evaluating the physical recovery of women undergoing minimally invasive surgery for Pelvic Organ Prolapse POP. This study compares recovery times between women who receive routine postoperative instructions and those who follow a prescribed exercise program. The goal is to see if early exercise after surgery leads to faster recovery without negatively affecting pelvic floor health or surgical outcomes.
Participants will be randomly assigned to either a control group receiving standard postoperative advice or an intervention group instructed to perform 30 minutes of medium-intensity exercise starting on postoperative day 3, at least five times weekly for six weeks. All participants will wear an accelerometer on their non-dominant wrist to objectively measure physical activity before and after surgery. Recovery progress will be tracked daily through a mobile app until participants report feeling mostly recovered.
During the study, participants will complete physical tests and questionnaires at baseline, 2, 6, and 12 weeks post-surgery, with a final assessment one year after surgery. Researchers will monitor recovery status, pelvic floor symptoms, activity adherence, and anatomical outcomes. Data collection includes self-reported recovery, accelerometer readings, physical performance tests, and clinical evaluations, with safety and adverse events recorded throughout the study period.
CONDITIONS
Brief Title
Accelerometer Measured Early Recovery After Prolapse Surgery
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This table compares participation in this trial with other options available for this condition. The information is drawn from published research and the trial’s study details and is provided for educational purposes only.
Factors
Postoperative Exercise Regimen
Standard Postoperative Care
What it is
A structured approach where participants begin moderate-intensity exercise at home from the third day after their prolapse surgery, aiming for 30 minutes per session, at least five times per week for six weeks. Activity is unsupervised and participant-chosen.
Participants receive typical advice after prolapse surgery, with gradual return to activity based on standard recommendations for postoperative care.
Role in trial
Investigational group assigned to initiate regular exercise at home beginning three days after surgery.
Comparator group assigned to receive the usual postoperative guidance without an exercise protocol.
Primary use
To study whether early, structured exercise at moderate intensity can enhance physical recovery after pelvic organ prolapse surgery.
Serves as the comparison arm to measure recovery outcomes when only usual care advice is given following prolapse surgery.
How it is given or performed
Participants start moderate-intensity exercise, such as brisk walking or equivalent, on their own at home from the third postoperative day, selecting their activity, for approximately 30 minutes, at least five times each week during the first six weeks.
Participants are offered general advice to resume activity gradually after surgery as tolerated, following the institution’s standard recovery counseling.
Evidence status
Prior trials have not established the effects of unrestricted or proactively increased physical activity following pelvic reconstructive surgery. This protocol is under current investigation for its impact on recovery and function after pelvic organ prolapse surgery.
Usual postoperative advice following prolapse surgery has traditionally emphasized activity restrictions, but recent studies show no significant difference in surgical or symptom outcomes with or without strict limitations. However, effects of proactive exercise prescription are not well established.
Important limitations
Evidence for proactive exercise after prolapse surgery is limited. This study uses patient-selected, unsupervised activity, making adherence and safety monitoring a challenge and potentially contributing to result variability.
Standard advice varies between institutions and providers, and the optimal type or timing of postoperative activity remains unclear. Surveys indicate practice patterns are inconsistent, and previous studies have not confirmed significant advantages to strict limitation.
Disclaimer: This comparison is created with the help of artificial intelligence(AI) and may contain errors or missing information. It is not medical advice and does not mean one option is better or safer than another. Clinical trials are still being studied, and joining a trial is your choice. Please consult your healthcare professional before making any decisions.
Who Can Participate
Age: 18Years - 99Years
FEMALE
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
Subject has provided written informed consent
Ambulatory women undergoing laparoscopic, robotic, or vaginal reconstructive or obliterative surgery for apical prolapse
Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification (POP-Q) stage III or higher
Willing to participate in a postoperative exercise regimen
Able to read and consent in English or Spanish
Willing and able to wear an accelerometer before and after surgery, use electronic data capture software, and record daily events
Willing and able to install and use study-related smartphone app(s)
Anticipated hospital discharge on or before postoperative day 1
You will not qualify if you...
Inability or unwillingness to adhere to the exercise intervention
Contraindication to medium-intensity exercise
Comorbidities preventing physical activity
Planned abdominal surgery with laparotomy
Your Study Journey
Screening
Duration - 2 to 4 weeks
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial.
Surgery and Immediate Post-operative Care
Duration - Up to 1 day
Participants undergo minimally invasive surgery for pelvic organ prolapse followed by initial postoperative recovery.
1 hospital stay (in-person)
Treatment
Duration - 6 weeks
Participants follow either a prescribed early exercise regimen starting on postoperative day 3 or receive standard postoperative care with gradual resumption of activity.
Continuous accelerometer wear during waking hours, daily mobile app queries, and 2 in-person visits at 2 and 6 weeks for data collection
Follow-up
Duration - Up to 1 year after surgery
Participants are monitored remotely via a mobile app until 12 weeks post surgery and attend in-office evaluations at 12 weeks and 1 year to assess recovery and outcomes.
In-person visits at 12 weeks and 1 year
How is the study designed?
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Masking
SINGLE
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Model
PARALLEL
Primary Purpose
TREATMENT
Number of Arms
2
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Published Research Related To This Trial
Physical and cultural determinants of postpartum pelvic floor support and symptoms following vaginal delivery: a protocol for a mixed-methods prospective cohort study.
Loss of skeletal muscle mass can be predicted by sarcopenia and reflects poor functional recovery at one year after surgery for geriatric hip fractures.
Effect of Vaginal Mesh Hysteropexy vs Vaginal Hysterectomy With Uterosacral Ligament Suspension on Treatment Failure in Women With Uterovaginal Prolapse: A Randomized Clinical Trial.
Charles W Nager, Anthony G Visco, Holly E Richter...