Surgical teams face an ongoing challenge: delivering the best possible care while optimizing efficiency. Now, two leaders in health technology—Ōura and Dexcom—have joined forces in a $75 million partnership to provide real-time, comprehensive patient monitoring that enhances decision-making before, during, and after surgery.

Ōura’s smart ring tracks key health indicators such as sleep, heart rate variability, temperature, and stress levels, while Dexcom’s continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system offers real-time blood sugar insights. By combining these data points, this integration empowers surgical teams with continuous insights into a patient’s physiological state—potentially preventing complications and improving recovery outcomes.

Why This Matters in the Operating Room

In surgery, even minor fluctuations in a patient’s health can significantly impact outcomes. This collaboration integrates continuous biometric tracking into clinical workflows, offering practical advantages for surgical teams:

1. Identifying Red Flags Before Surgery

Glucose variability, sleep disturbances, and stress levels can all affect surgical outcomes. Real-time monitoring helps detect concerns early, allowing for proactive intervention.

🔹 Example: If a patient exhibits erratic glucose levels and poor sleep leading up to surgery, their care team can adjust the pre-op plan to reduce complications. (Source: Wearables and the Medical Revolution)

2. Enhancing Precision in Surgical Planning

No two patients are the same. Access to individualized biometric data enables tailored pre-op preparation, anesthesia management, and post-op care plans.

🔹 Impact: Adjusting anesthesia based on a patient’s stress levels and metabolic data can lead to fewer intraoperative complications and better recovery outcomes. (Source: Precision Medicine Paving a New Era in Patient-Centric Care)

3. Empowering Patients in Their Own Recovery

Patients who actively track their health metrics tend to be more engaged in their recovery. Access to real-time data fosters adherence to pre-op protocols and post-op care plans.

🔹 Example: A patient tracking their glucose and sleep quality preoperatively is more likely to follow surgical preparation guidelines, reducing the risk of delayed recovery. (Source: Wearing the Future—Wearables to Empower)

4. Increasing Patient Adherence with Wearable Technology

Patients are far more likely to wear a discreet and comfortable device like the Ōura Ring compared to traditional monitoring tools. Higher adherence leads to better long-term data collection and improved care.

🔹 Why it matters: Consistent biometric monitoring ensures surgical teams have reliable, continuous data to assess recovery progress. (Source: Wearable Health Devices in Health Care)

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How This Transforms Postoperative Care

By integrating real-time physiological tracking into recovery protocols, this partnership enables surgical teams to refine post-op care strategies based on real-world data.

1. More Informed Decision-Making in the OR

Real-time health tracking allows for dynamic, data-driven decision-making, reducing intraoperative surprises and enabling proactive adjustments.

🔹 Example: Elevated stress markers and glucose fluctuations can inform anesthesia modifications, leading to more precise intraoperative management.

2. Accelerating Recovery and Reducing Complications

Continuous monitoring allows for early identification of potential complications, leading to faster interventions and improved patient outcomes.

🔹 Benefit: Faster recovery times, fewer readmissions, and improved post-op pain management strategies tailored to each patient’s needs.

3. Reducing Readmission Rates Through Early Intervention

Postoperative complications often escalate due to delayed detection. Wearable technology ensures continuous surveillance, allowing surgical teams to intervene before minor issues become major setbacks.

🔹 Impact: Proactive interventions reduce unplanned hospital visits and lower healthcare costs. (Source: Wearable devices for patient monitoring in the early postoperative period)

4. Creating a Data-Driven Operating Room

Surgical teams gain access to patient data in real time, allowing for improved workflow efficiency and evidence-based intraoperative adjustments.

🔹 Future Vision: As AI-driven analytics advance, wearable data could further streamline OR processes and surgical precision.

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What’s Next for Wearable Technology in Surgery?

The Ōura-Dexcom partnership signals a shift toward more proactive, personalized surgical care. As real-time biometric tracking becomes standard practice, surgical teams will have more tools than ever to enhance patient safety and optimize recovery pathways.

With these innovations, ASCs and hospitals can expect greater efficiency, improved patient outcomes, and a smarter approach to perioperative care.

Are you ready to integrate wearable health data into your surgical workflows? Stay ahead of the curve as more healthcare providers embrace this groundbreaking technology.

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By: Dr. Gina Cocos, PharmD; Clinical Product Owner at ExactRx