Implementation of a Modified Enhanced Recovery Protocol in Cleft Palate Repairs

Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS) protocols have been shown to improve patient outcomes in numerous adult surgical populations, but there are few known standards for their use in pediatric patients. To assess the effectiveness in pediatric craniofacial surgery, we present our results following the application of a modified ERAS protocol for patients undergoing primary palatoplasty.

A modified ERAS program was developed and implemented in a multidisciplinary manner. The primary components of the protocol included: (1) administration of gabapentinoids, (2) minimal perioperative narcotic use, and (3) post-operative pain control using nonnarcotic first-line agents. Fifty patients were collected prospectively, assigned to the modified ERAS protocol and compared to historic controls. We reviewed patient demographics, narcotic use, length of stay (LOS), oral intake, and complication rates.

Between April 2017 and June 2018, 50 patients underwent palatoplasty under the modified ERAS protocol. The mean age (control: 9.7 ± 2.3 months; ERAS: 9.9 ± 1.6 months), weight (8.8 ± 1.3 kg; 8.6 ± 1.3 kg), and comorbidities did not vary between the groups. ERAS patients evidenced an increase in oral intake normalized per LOS (22.3 mL/h vs 15.4 mL/h). Total narcotic usage (morphine equivalents) during each phase of care was greater in the controls compared with ERAS (Intraop: 3.71 mg vs 0.12 mg; PACU: 0.51 mg vs 0.05 mg; Postop: 2.6 mg vs 0.07 mg). The implementation of this protocol led to a 36.6% decrease in LOS (1.83 days vs 1.16 days) without an increase in perioperative complications.

Implementation of a modified ERAS protocol provided effective perioperative pain control allowing narcotic minimization, increased post-operative oral intake, and a shorter LOS without an increased complication rate.