High-Tech T-Shirt Aids in Post-Surgery Monitoring
March 25, 2025 (HealthDay News) — A novel, sensor-equipped T-shirt is showing promise in remotely monitoring patients’ vital signs after their release from the hospital, according to recent research. The technology could potentially enable patients to return home sooner following surgery, based on early findings.
“Our patients found the T-shirt easy to use and over 90% reported it allowed them to feel safe and cared for while recuperating at home,” reported Dr. Antonio Pastore, an associate professor of urology at Sapienza University of Rome in Italy and the lead researcher in the study.
The research involved a group of patients who wore the T-shirt following robot-assisted urological surgery for cancer. This wearable tech monitors various vital signs, including heart function, respiration, heart rate, and body temperature. The data is then transmitted to an application and software accessible to medical professionals.
“The T-shirt we gave to patients differs from smartwatches and other wearables,” Pastore explained. “It can reveal more data, including electrolytes, which we need to continue to monitor after bladder surgery as they can reveal mineral imbalances that lead to serious complications.”
The study compared outcomes for 35 patients who wore the sensor-laden T-shirt post-surgery with a control group of 35 patients who received standard care. Patients in the T-shirt group were discharged from the hospital a day to a day and a half earlier than those in the standard care group. They wore the telemonitoring garment for three-hour periods daily for roughly two weeks.
Results showed that approximately 26% of patients in the standard care group needed to return to the hospital before scheduled follow-up appointments, compared to just 6% in the T-shirt group. Furthermore, the shirt detected early signs of heart problems in five patients, facilitating prompt diagnosis and treatment.
Dr. Maarten Albersen, a urologist at UZ Leuven in Belgium and the EAU meeting chair, stated, “This sensory T-shirt appears to be a promising remote monitoring technology for helping patients to recover well at home after robotic-assisted urological surgery.” He added that the study’s insights are particularly interesting, especially given the patients’ acceptance of the wearable and its ability to detect complications in real-time, thus potentially reducing unnecessary hospital readmissions.
However, Albersen cautioned that the trial is still in its early stages, and further data is needed to fully assess the wearable’s impact on facilitating earlier discharges and its cost-effectiveness.
Researchers presented their findings at the annual meeting of the European Association of Urology in Madrid.
Findings presented at medical meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.
What This Means For You:
Patients may be able to leave the hospital sooner if a wearable garment like a T-shirt can provide doctors with data on their vital signs.
