I am a colorectal surgeon who has specialised in the management of patients with chronic inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer for the past five years. I have specifically focused on the minimally invasive approach and the use of ERAS protocols.
Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols reduce the length of hospital stay (LHS), complications, and costs for many elective surgical procedures. The ERAS protocol concerns a multimodal, multidisciplinary, standardized, evidence-based approach to minimize stress for patients undergoing surgery. A similar, structured approach appears to improve outcomes, including mortality, for patients undergoing high-risk emergency general surgery, and emergency laparotomy, in particular. Recently, several studies have been published, including new guidelines, analyzing the benefits of ERAS protocols in emergency surgery and trauma patients. The aim of this chapter is to analyze the available data and the benefits of using ERAS protocols in patients undergoing emergency and trauma surgery.
Part of the book: Contemporary Approach to Trauma and Emergency Surgery