Future Directions in Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) for Gynecologic Surgery

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) represents a global, multidisciplinary surgical quality improvement initiative to improve preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative patient care with demonstrable economic benefit. In this narrative review, we outline 5 innovative ERAS initiatives, including an improved surgical safety checklist, ongoing advocacy for same-day discharge postoperatively, the role of application-based telehealth in supporting patients after hospital discharge, patient engagement in ERAS protocols and appropriate postoperative opioid prescribing. These innovative strategies are applicable to a broad array of disciplines; however, our focus in this paper is within the fields of gynecology and gynecologic oncology.