This newsletter will highlight news related to the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery pathways at UNC.
Welcome to the October 2015 issue of the Enhanced Recovery Program Newsletter!
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| This newsletter will highlight news related to the Enhanced Recovery pathways at UNC. Feedback is welcome! |
| Please send comments to EnhancedRecovery@unchealth.unc.edu |
Enhanced Recovery Program: An Introduction
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| In July 2014, the UNC Department of Anesthesiology partnered with the Department of Surgical Oncology to introduce an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) clinical pathway for pancreatic surgery. This enhanced recovery after surgery clinical pathway served to standardize clinical management using best practice guidelines for perioperative care. Pathway components included multi-modal analgesia, intraoperative goal-directed fluid therapy, early and frequent postoperative ambulation, and consumption of a carbohydrate beverage on the morning of surgery. The results of this initial pilot program were quite remarkable: hospital length of stay decreased by nearly three days! In addition, patients had superior pain control with early return of bowel function.
As a result of this initial pilot program, the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Program was established to help other surgical populations benefit from this collaborative effort for quality improvement. |