Enhanced Recovery After Surgery

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery:

Abstract

Purpose of Review

To provide a brief summary of the progress of enhanced recovery over the last 5 to 10 years and set out what the future might hold for such programmes.

Recent Findings

There has been significant progress in the adoption of enhanced recovery programmes across multiple surgical specialities. However there is still difficulty in sustaining a target of > 80% compliance, which has been identified through research as the optimal level to observe best patient results. With increasing interest in perioperative medicine and prehabilitation, more focus is being put into enhanced recovery programmes.

Summary

The evidence continues to support the use of enhanced recovery programmes to reduce patient mortality, morbidity and length of stay and therefore saving cost and resource. However more progress needs to be made in adoption and compliance to these programmes. In the future, advances in technology may aid programme implementation and data collection.