Enhanced Recovery After Surgery: A Paradigm Shift in Perioperative Care

Abstract

This chapter gives a broad overview of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS®) from the eyes of one of the founders of the ERAS study group and the ERAS® Society. The development of surgery and anesthesia has improved outcomes but also how specialization drives the specialties apart. ERAS is overcoming shortcomings by bringing together multiprofessional and multidisciplinary teams and trains these teams to drive change using insights of the outcomes and the processes behind the results in every unit and adopt evidence-based best care. ERAS® Society introduced the Interactive Audit System that allows for continuous updates of your own practice. The same system allows for building quality registries in countries where they are not available, as well as forming a platform for a large international network for research.