WMJ : official publication of the State Medical Society of Wisconsin
-
Perioperative programs aimed at decreasing surgical stress to colorectal patients can reduce hospital length of stay and morbidity while improving the patient’s perception of the surgical experience. Our goal was to transform patient care from a perioperative platform based on individual physician and nurse choice to a standardized evidence-based Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocol for all patients undergoing elective colorectal resections. ⋯ We implemented change through a new system of care based upon standardized evidence-based ERAS protocols through the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative patient experience. In the first year of the ERAS program, patients experienced a reduced length of stay without a significant difference in morbidity or mortality.