Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) is an evidence-based approach that helps you recover faster with fewer complications after surgery. By standardizing care before, during, and after procedures, ERAS improves outcomes, shortens hospital stays, and supports overall well-being.
These protocols are used across many surgical specialties and are increasingly applied to outpatient and same-day surgeries. We use ERAS principles for pain control to reduce the need for pain medication as well as postoperative nausea and vomiting that can often occur with plastic surgery.
Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) is a comprehensive, multidisciplinary care plan that’s designed to reduce the physical and emotional stress that occurs with surgery. The protocol involves coordinated efforts with patients, surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, and other healthcare providers.
ERAS focuses on optimizing each part of the surgical experience using evidence-based practices to help maintain normal body function and promote faster return to daily activities. Some of the key elements of ERAS include patient education, minimally invasive techniques, effective pain control, and early mobilization. Strategies support better recovery outcomes and improved overall patient satisfaction.
The key principles of ERAS encompass what happens before, during, and after surgery to help reduce the patient’s pain experience and the need for pain relief. We will discuss the specific recommendations before your plastic surgery procedure, but the following are some general concepts.
The process begins before surgery. You’ll receive clear instructions about what you can expect, including timelines for recovery, plans for pain control, and activity levels. Proper nutritional support is essential during this phase.
You must also quit smoking and limit alcohol, which can impair healing and increase the risk of infection. Make sure you hydrate well prior to surgery. We will give you instructions on when to how long you should stop eating before surgery. At the surgery center or hospital, you will be given preoperative pain medications to reduce discomfort even before the surgery starts.
Once you are asleep, Dr. DeLuca-Pytell will often give an anesthetic block or use tumescent solution for reduced intraoperative and postoperative discomfort. Local anesthetic is used as well. This reduces the need for intraoperative opioids which in turn reduces postoperative nausea, vomiting, and constipation.
Recovery begins immediately after surgery. We recommend that you are walking, eating, and drinking as soon as safely possible afterward, as it helps maintain your muscle strength and supports digestive function. We use a multimodal approach to pain management, combining non-opioid medications with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Nausea prevention, infection control, and blood clot prevention strategies are actively approached to promote a smoother and safer recovery. Combined, these principles help you return to your daily activities more quickly and with fewer setbacks.
There are significant benefits to using enhanced recovery after surgery principles to improve clinical outcomes and your experience with surgery and recovery. Standardizing care and encouraging early recovery practices leads to a fewer post-surgical complications.
We focus on education, pain management, and early mobility to improve your satisfaction with the procedure and achieve a faster return to normal routines.
These advantages make ERAS an increasingly preferred approach across many surgical settings, including outpatient and same-day procedures. Call us today to learn more about how Dr. DeLuca-Pytell, Your Girlfriend the Plastic Surgeon®, follows these principles to improve your plastic surgery experience.
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