Enhanced Recovery After Thoracic Surgery (ERATS).

Abstract

BACKGROUND\nDecreasing the length of stay after thoracic surgery provides both clinical and financial benefits to both the patient and the clinical system. Since 2017, our institution has seen advancements in the care of patients undergoing thoracic surgery after utilising our protocol Enhanced Recovery After Thoracic Surgery (ERATS).\n\n\nMETHODS\nThe protocol we implemented is comprehensive, including the patient s pain management, thoracostomy tube drainage, physical therapy and rehabilitation, ventilator support and pulmonary care, as well as other features of preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative care. In a retrospective review, we compared the overall length of stay prior to the protocol implementation to the length of stay after initiating the changes.\n\n\nRESULTS\nWe identified a median decrease of 2 days (from 6 days to 4 days) following the implementation of this protocol for all types of thoracic surgical procedures (p<0.01).\n\n\nCONCLUSIONS\nUpon implementation of the ERATS protocol, we appreciated a decrease in the length of stay of thoracic surgery patients at our institution.