Award-winning Program Helps Surgery Patients at UH Recover Successfully

There’s a science to creating the best recovery after surgery – and University Hospitals is at the forefront of it. Perhaps best of all, this novel approach to improving the quality of care also empowers patients to take ownership of their own health.

Here’s how it works: Surgery patients at UH follow what’s known as the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocol. The protocol focuses on aiding patients so that they are physically prepared for their surgical journey. Specific elements can include high-protein nutritional drinks for the days pre- and post-surgery, carbohydrate-loading drinks for the night before and morning of surgery, and exercise instructions developed by UH physical therapists.

No matter what their individual elements might be, the pre-op preparation gets patients engaged. Clinicians using ERAS have noted that patients seem to be less anxious about an upcoming procedure because they know exactly what will happen, and they are participating in the process before and after the surgery.

Other crucial elements of the ERAS protocol fall more to the caregiving team – minimizing the use of narcotic pain relievers and getting the patient up and walking as soon as possible after surgery. Patient education post-surgery is also key. ERAS patients receive a recovery booklet, “Passport to Home,” which helps them set goals for post-op pain management, nutrition and physical activities.

So is the ERAS protocol at UH actually enhancing recovery after surgery as advertised? The answer is unquestionably “yes.” Results show that patients following the ERAS protocol have shorter hospital stays, use fewer opioids, have fewer post-surgical infections and have lower costs. In fact, the ERAS protocol at UH has resulted in a 63 percent reduction in narcotics prescribed at discharge.

Others are taking notice of these remarkable results. The ERAS Society recently recognized UH’s success with this approach, certifying the UH colorectal surgery service line as a Qualified Center for ERAS – one of fewer than 10 such centers in the United States. The UH experience with ERAS was also an important factor in UH being honored with the American Hospital Association’s Quest for Quality Prize in 2022.

Heather McFarland, DO, FASA, System Director of the Anesthesia Value Network and Vice Chair of Clinical Operations, leads the ERAS project at UH, along with Soozan Abouhassan, MD, a critical care anesthesiologist; Ronald Charles, MD, a colorectal surgeon; Naomi Compton, BSN, RN, ERAS Nurse Coordinator; and Maggie Canitia, ERAS Operations Data Analyst. She says the team is motivated by finding new ways to improve outcomes for patients.

“The foundation of ERAS is a paradigm shift in health care,” Dr. McFarland said. “It breaks down silos and takes care of patients across the continuum in the best way possible.”