This study analyzed data from the UK Mini Mitral trial, which compared recovery in patients undergoing either a sternotomy or a minimally invasive thoracoscopically-guided right minithoracotomy procedure for mitral valve repair, using wrist-worn triaxial accelerometers to track physical activity and sleep. Results indicated that the minimally invasive approach led to significantly higher total activity counts and more time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity at six- and 18-weeks post-surgery, along with lower sedentary time. Overall, the findings suggest that wearable accelerometers are effective for assessing recovery after cardiac surgery.