History of Enhanced Recovery at UNC | Department of Anesthesiology

In July 2014, Dr. HJ Kim, Division Chief and Professor of Surgery, partnered with Dr. Lavinia Kolarczyk, Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology to develop an Enhanced Recovery protocol for patients undergoing a Whipple or distal pancreatectomy. Pancreatic surgery patients were considered good candidates for this new pathway as they are at high risk of perioperative morbidity and the population is considered a relatively homogenous. Over about one year, 50 patients were enrolled and underwent the new Enhanced Recovery pathway. Their demographics and outcomes were compared to historical controls.

The pilot program demonstrated many improvements in patient outcomes, including:

decreased length of stay
reductions in PACU Phase 1 recovery times
decreased number of pRBC transfusions
decreased IV crystalloid administration