Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) is an evidence-based paradigm shift in perioperative care, proven to lower both recovery time and postoperative complication rates while being cost-effective at the same time. It fundamentally shifts the traditional patient care in surgical wards to one that standardizes it based on published evidence. ERAS protocols are being adopted for gynecological procedures and there is some evidence that they also work in women undergoing pelvic floor reconstructive surgery.
There are variations in number of days of hospitalizations, duration of catheterization, vaginal packing, and postoperative analgesia after pelvic floor surgery in different countries of the world.
ERAS protocols focus on counseling preoperatively, optimizing nutrition, standardizing analgesia without opioid use, minimizing electrolyte and fluid imbalance, using the most minimally invasive approaches, and promoting early ambulation and feeding. Adopting these protocols in urogynecology would mean that our patients also benefit from the principles leading to less pain and quick recovery – especially in the current climate of increased risk of hospital acquired infections and COVID with prolonged hospitalization.