Enhanced Recovery After Surgery: The Plastic Surgery Paradigm Shift

Area of Science:

• Plastic Surgery
• Perioperative Care
• Surgical Outcomes

Background:

• Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) represents an evolution in perioperative care, focusing on high-quality treatment and reduced healthcare expenses.
• ERAS employs a multidisciplinary, multimodal strategy to expedite recovery and maximize patient outcomes, gaining acceptance across surgical specialties, including plastic surgery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact and effectiveness of ERAS protocols on patient outcomes specifically within the field of cosmetic plastic surgery.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study involved surveying patients from two plastic surgeons via phone calls on postoperative days 0 through 7+.
• The study compared a treatment group (n=10) adhering to ERAS protocols against a control group (n=12) following traditional recovery with narcotic use.

Main Results:

• The ERAS group showed significantly reduced postoperative pain on postoperative days 0-3 (P < 0.01).
• Statistically significant improvements were observed in the ERAS group regarding nausea/vomiting, fatigue, constipation, and ambulation compared to the control group (all P < 0.05).
• Opioid use (P < 0.001) and constipation (P = 0.003) were notably decreased in the ERAS cohort.

Conclusions:

• ERAS protocols are crucial in cosmetic plastic surgery, expediting recovery while maintaining high-quality care.
• This study demonstrates that ERAS reduces postoperative complaints and narcotic dependence without increasing complications.
• The findings underscore the significance of implementing ERAS protocols in cosmetic plastic surgery for improved patient recovery and satisfaction.