Fast-track protocol for perioperative care in gynecological surgery: Cross-sectional study

To compare clinical and surgical outcomes in patients admitted to a gynecological surgery ward before and after the implementation of an evidence-based multimodal and multiprofessional care protocol by the hospital staff.

In this historically-controlled cross-sectional study, we compared clinical and surgical outcomes among all women admitted to the gynecological ward of a university public hospital for elective surgery for various reasons before and after the implementation of a multimodal care protocol. The protocol had been implemented to adjust the following procedures to evidence-based recommendations: fluid management/hydration, antimicrobial prophylaxis, management of nausea and vomiting, antithrombotic prophylactic therapy, preoperative fasting, mechanical bowel preparation (reduction), pain management, use of urinary catheters, and stimulus to ambulation.

After the protocol implementation, fasting time was reduced in approximately 10 h. Patients had to undergo bowel preparation significantly less frequently, and the volume of fluids was reduced too. The use of nausea and vomit prophylaxis increased almost 20 times, but only nausea episodes were reduced. The frequency of antithrombotic prophylactic therapy more than doubled. Hospitalization time decreased significantly.

In this study, we observed significant improvements in clinical outcomes after the implementation of a multimodal protocol for perioperative care in the gynecological ward of a public university hospital in Brazil. The protocol implementation was associated with reductions in fasting time, bowel preparation, administration of fluids, pain, nausea and hospitalization time, allowing the treatment of more patients per year in the same ward.