- Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols have been credited with improving clinical outcomes and decreasing hospital length of stay and postoperative complications. In this retrospective study the authors examined the records of 2120 patients who had undergone pulmonary resection surgery.
- The two groups consisted of 260 patients who were in the ERAS protocol and 1860 patients who received conventional post operative care.
- The ERAS group received gabapentin pre-op, an intra-op nerve block, and an ON-Q Pain buster for post-op analgesia. The conventional treatment group received no pre-op meds or regional anesthesia. Post-op pain was managed with IV-PCA. Otherwise, the clinical management of the two groups was identical.
- Since the use of opioids for post-op pain management can have significant complications, the authors wanted to study whether their ERAS protocol could decrease opioid consumption.
- The ERAS group had significantly less opioid use than the conventional group (44 [16-122] mg 208 [146-294]mg.)The ERAS group also had lower daily consumption of opioids. Finally, 60% of the ERAS patients were discharged without an opioid prescription, as opposed to only 18% of the patients in the conventional treatment group. Other factors such as length of stay and 30-day readmission rate were not statistically different between the groups.
- Patients in the ERAS group consumed fewer opioids post-op than the conventional treatment group. Because of the many potential side effects and complications with opioid use, it appears that implementing an ERAS protocol can enhance patient safety.
Summary of "Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Program and Opioid Consumption in Pulmonary Resection Surgery: A Retrospective Observational Study"
Summary published May 3, 2023
