Biological and Physiological Predictors of Postoperative Recovery Trajectories in Major General Surgical Operations
Keywords:
postoperative recovery, general surgery, biomarkers, heart rate variability, frailty, recovery predictionAbstract
Background: Predicting postoperative recovery remains a clinical challenge, particularly after major general surgical operations. Recent advances in precision medicine, wearable technology, and biomarker profiling have opened new avenues to identify key biological and physiological factors that influence recovery trajectories.
Objective: This study synthesizes current evidence on biological and physiological predictors of postoperative recovery, focusing on general surgical populations, and evaluates the most recent predictive models and frameworks developed.
Methods: A structured review of empirical literature published between 2010 and 2024 was conducted. Emphasis was placed on studies assessing cytokine levels, preoperative fitness, heart rate variability, frailty indices, and genetic markers in relation to post-surgical outcomes.
Results: Biomarkers such as IL-6 and CRP, physiologic indicators like VO2 max and resting HRV, and composite frailty scales (e.g., Fried Frailty Index) consistently emerged as robust predictors. The integration of wearable data post-surgery further refined recovery modeling.
Conclusion: Multi-dimensional approaches combining biological, physiological, and digital phenotyping hold promise for individualizing postoperative care. However, heterogeneity in measurement tools and patient populations remains a barrier to standardization.
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