[PERIOPERATIVE TEAM COOPERATION IN OKAYAMA UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL]

In the past, most duties in perioperative management were carried out directly by surgeons themselves. However, in that conventional approach, the experience and knowledge of the responsible surgeon made a difference to the postoperative course. As hospital stays have become shorter in recent years, the preoperative hospitalization period is now only one to two days. It has become more difficult to prepare patients sufficiently, both physically and mentally, so that they undergo surgery with peace of mind. To overcome this situation, the Perioperative Management Center (PERIO) was opened at Okayama University Hospital in 2008, and patients undergoing esophageal cancer surgery have been accepted since 2009. In PERIO, multidisciplinary medical staff share information on patients throughout the organization, and team medical intervention is performed from the preoperative outpatient period. The introduction of PERIO has resulted in earlier postoperative resumption of mobility and shorter postoperative stays. Furthermore, according to a patient survey, PERIO provides an environment that enables patients to face surgery calmly. As the next stage, intraoperative and postoperative interventions in PERIO should be enhanced for a safer perioperative environment and even greater peace of mind for patients.