While originally pioneered by European anesthesiologists and surgeons in Europe in the 1990s, enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programs, also known as enhanced recovery protocols or fast-track surgery, have now gained popularity across the surgical spectrum within the United States. The goal of these programs is to utilize multidisciplinary and multimodal interventions to minimize the physiologic changes associated with surgery and thereby enhance the perioperative experience – reduced morbidity and mortality, shorter length of stay, less postoperative opioid use, and faster resumption to normal activity, at a decreased cost of care.
Dr. Charles E. Miller
1. Enhanced patient education, including managing expectations.
2. Decreased perioperative fasting periods.
3. Blood volume and temperature maintenance intraoperatively.
4. Postoperative mobilization early and often.
5. Multimodal pain relief and nausea/vomiting prophylaxis.
6. Use of postoperative drains and catheters only as long as required.
Today, I have asked Kirsten Sasaki, MD, to discuss some of these ERAS concepts. I have asked Dr. Sasaki to especially focus on decreasing opioid utilization. For a thorough discussion on ERAS recommendations using an evidence-based approach, one can review two excellent papers by Nelson et al. (Gynecol Oncol. 2016 Feb;140[2]:313-22; Gynecol Oncol. 2016 Feb;140[2]:323-32).
Dr. Sasaki completed her internship and residency at Tufts Medical Center, Boston. Dr. Sasaki then went on to become our second fellow at the Fellowship in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery in affiliation with AAGL and Society of Reproductive Surgeons at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, Park Ridge, Ill. As a Fellow, Dr. Sasaki was recognized for her excellent teaching and research capabilities. Ultimately, however, it was her tremendous surgical skills and surgical sense that led me to invite her to join my practice in 2014.
Dr. Miller is a clinical associate professor at the University of Illinois in Chicago and past president of the AAGL. He is a reproductive endocrinologist and minimally invasive gynecologic surgeon in metropolitan Chicago and the director of minimally invasive gynecologic surgery at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, Park Ridge, Ill. He has no disclosures relevant to this Master Class.