Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) is a multidisciplinary, patient-centred approach aimed at expediting recovery, improving clinical outcomes, and reducing healthcare costs. Initially developed for colorectal surgery, ERAS principles have been successfully applied across various surgical specialties, including cardiac surgery. This study outlines the implementation and certification process of the ERAS program in a tertiary cardiac surgical centre within the Heart-Vessel Department at Lausanne University Hospital.
The implementation involved forming a multidisciplinary team, including cardiac surgeons, anaesthesiologists, intensivists, a cardiologist, clinical nurse specialists and physiotherapists. The ERAS nurse coordinator played a central role in organizing meetings, promoting the program, developing protocols, and collecting data. The certification process required adherence to ERAS guidelines, structured training and external evaluation. Key phases included pre-ERAS data collection, protocol dissemination, inclusion of the 1st patients, followed by analysis and full implementation.
Achieving certification required maintaining a compliance rate of over 70% with established protocols. The process involved overcoming various barriers, such as inconsistent practices and the need for multidisciplinary collaboration. In this paper, we provide some solutions to these challenges, including team education, regular meetings and continuous feedback loops. Preliminary data from the initial cohort showed improvements in early mobilization, opioid use, respiratory complications and shorter hospital stays.
The successful implementation of the ERAS program at our institution demonstrates the feasibility and benefits of a structured, multidisciplinary approach in cardiac surgery. Continuous self-assessment and adherence to guidelines are essential for sustained improvement in patient outcomes and healthcare efficiency.