Effects of Early Mobilization Training on Mobility, Pain, Comfort, and Sleep Quality in Laparoscopic Abdominal Surgery Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Abstract

Implementing early mobilization protocols can improve patient outcomes and accelerate postoperative recovery. This pre-test and posttest randomized controlled experimental study aims to evaluate the effects of early mobilization training on mobility, pain, comfort, and sleep quality in patients undergoing laparoscopic abdominal surgery. The study was conducted at a state hospital in Northern Cyprus between June and October 2022, and participant recruitment and follow-up were reported using the CONSORT 2010 flow diagram. The sample of the study comprised 78 abdominal surgery patients who were equally assigned to the intervention (n = 39) and control groups (n = 39). Perioperative information form and patient mobility scale were used for data collection. The mean ages of the intervention and control groups were 44.82 ± 12.37 and 44.41 ± 10.80 years, respectively. The total duration of mobilization in the intervention group (58.33 ± 11.20 min) was significantly higher than that of the control group (24.92 ± 5.64 min). Postoperative pain scores of the intervention group were significantly lower than those of the control group. Comfort and sleep quality scores of the intervention group were significantly higher than those of the control group. Finally, the length of hospital stay in the intervention group was significantly lower than that of the control group. The findings of this study imply that early mobilization training had a positive impact on reducing postoperative pain and increasing the duration of mobilization, comfort while turning in bed, and lying and the quality of sleep on the first postoperative day. This study provides practical insights for enhancing comfort, mobility, pain management, and sleep quality, while addressing a key gap in the literature and contributing to evidence-based clinical practice.