Enhanced Recovery After Cardiac Surgery: A Propensity-Matched Analysis

The Enhanced Recovery after Surgery Approach in Heart Valve Surgery: A Systematic Review of Clinical Studies

Background: Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols aim to reduce postoperative complications and promote earlier recovery. Although it is well established in noncardiac surgery fields, the ERAS approach has only recently been adopted in cardiac surgery. The aim of this review is to evaluate the status and implementation of ERAS protocols in patients undergoing heart valve surgery and to summarise associated clinical results. Methods: A literature search for the period January 2015 and January 2024 was performed through online databases. Clinical studies (randomised controlled trials and cohort studies) on patients undergoing heart valve surgical procedures and comparing ERAS and conventional approaches were included. The data extracted covered studies and populations characteristics, early outcomes and the features of each ERAS protocol. Results: There were 14 studies that fulfilled the final search criteria and were ultimately included in the review. Overall, 5142 patients were identified in the 14 studies, with 2501 in ERAS groups and 2641 patients who were representative of control groups. Seven experiences exclusively included patients who underwent heart valve surgery. Twelve out of fourteen protocols involved multiple interventions from the preoperative to postoperative phase, while two studies reported actions limited to intraoperative and postoperative care. We found high heterogeneity among the included protocols regarding key actions targeted for improvement and measured outcomes. All the studies showed that ERAS pathways can be safely adopted in cardiac surgery and in most of the experiences were associated with shorter mechanical ventilation time, reduced postoperative opioid use and reduced ICU and hospital stays. Conclusions: As demonstrated in noncardiac surgery, the adoption of structured ERAS protocols has the potential to improve results in patients undergoing heart valve surgery. Further evidence based on larger populations is needed, including more homogenous pathways and reporting further outcomes in terms of patient satisfaction, recovery and quality of life after surgery.

Effects of accelerated rehabilitation surgical care on the surgical site wound infection and postoperative complications in patients of lung cancer: A meta-analysis

To comprehensively evaluate the effect of accelerated rehabilitation surgical care on perioperative wound infections and complications in patients undergoing lung cancer surgery. A comprehensive computerised search for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of accelerated rehabilitative surgical care applied to patients undergoing lung cancer surgery was conducted using the Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Wanfang and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases from inception to September 2023. The literature was screened and evaluated by two investigators, and data were extracted from the final included literature. Stata software (version 17.0) was used for data analysis. Overall, 21 RCTs involving 2187 patients were included, including 1093 cases in the accelerated rehabilitation surgical care group and 1094 cases in the conventional care group. The analyses revealed that patients with lung cancer surgery who implemented accelerated rehabilitation surgical care were significantly less likely to develop postoperative wound infections (odds ratio [OR] = 0.29, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.17-0.49, p < 0.001) and postoperative complications (OR = 0.26, 95% CI: 0.20-0.34, p < 0.001) and shortened the hospital length of stay (standardised mean differences [SMD] = -1.93, 95% CI: -2.32 to -1.53, and p < 0.001) compared with conventional care. The effect of accelerated rehabilitation surgical care intervention in the perioperative period of lung cancer surgery patients is remarkable, as it can effectively reduce the incidence of wound infection and complications, shorten hospitalisation time and promote patient recovery.

Role of Cardiac Anesthesiologists in Intraoperative Enhanced Recovery After Cardiac Surgery (ERACS) Protocol: A Retrospective Single-Center Study Analyzing Preliminary Results of a Yearlong ERACS Protocol Implementation

INTRODUCTION

Enhanced recovery after cardiac surgery (ERACS) has been gaining rapid acceptance after multiple studies have demonstrated promising results in improved outcomes of enhanced recovery after surgery in other surgical fields (eg, colorectal, orthopedic, thoracic, etc). Cardiac surgery has several unique challenges, including sternotomy, cardiopulmonary bypass and associated coagulopathy, blood transfusion, and postoperative intensive care requirement. Nonetheless, selective cardiac surgical patients can still benefit from ERACS. Guidelines for perioperative care in cardiac surgery, previously published by the ERACS Society, are weighted heavily in preoperative and postoperative management without much focus on intraoperative care provided by anesthesiologists. To address this gap and to explore anesthesiology's contribution in achieving ERACS, the study authors' cardiac anesthesiology division, in collaboration with cardiac surgery, introduced the ERACS protocol in their institution in February 2020.

METHODS

The cardiac anesthesiology division, in collaboration with cardiac surgery, introduced the ERACS protocol consisting of multimodal opioid-sparing analgesia, including the introduction of regional blocks, hemostasis management protocol, reversal of neuromuscular blockade, and administration of antiemetics in the authors' institution in February 2020. They have conducted a retrospective chart review study comparing patients who have received ERACS measures with a similar historic cohort who underwent cardiac surgery prior to initiation of an ERACS protocol. The primary outcomes of the study were to determine patients' time to extubation, postoperative opioid consumption, intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (LOS), and incidence of postoperative complications (eg, postoperative nausea vomiting [PONV], bleeding, ICU readmission, delirium.

RESULTS

The ERACS patients showed reduced opioid consumption (intraoperative fentanyl; postoperative fentanyl, as well as oxycodone, in the first 6 hours postoperatively), lesser mechanical ventilation (2.5 hours less), shorter ICU stays (5 hours less), shorter hospital LOS (1 day), and lesser incidence of PONV. None of the ERACS patients required blood transfusion. The study authors performed an anonymous survey among the anesthesiologists and ICU providers to assess providers' satisfaction, which showed 92% of survey takers agreed that the ERACS protocol should be continued for future cardiac patients, and 61% of survey takers reported superior pain control in ERACS group of patients while managing those patients.

DISCUSSION

The ERACS is achievable after the careful implementation of a series of measures. It does not signify only fast-track extubation and opioid-sparing analgesia, and must be implemented in the entire perioperative period beginning from preoperative clinic to postoperative rehabilitation. Cardiac anesthesiologists play a vital role in execution of intraoperative ERACS measures. Both providers and patients themselves are key stakeholders. A larger randomized prospective trial is warranted to solidify the inference.

Preoperative Predictors of Prolonged Hospital Stay in Accelerated Rehabilitation for Patients Undergoing Orthopedic Surgery

In this study, we performed a retrospective and prospective study of preoperative predictors of the length of stay (LOS) in three groups of surgical patients and conducted a clinical retrospective study of the current research status of preoperative predictors of LOS prolongation in three groups of patients under ERAS (enhanced recovery after surgery) mode, such as patient characteristics and comorbidities. Information such as patients' exercise preferences, exercise time, frequency and duration, footwear, location of knee osteoarthritis, whether there is a past history of knee injury, and smoking and drinking history was collected, and the research data of 312 patients undergoing the three operations were analyzed by SPSS. Meniscal injury-knee arthroscopy sample included a total of 104 people. Surgical sample for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction included a total of 100 subjects. Knee osteoarthritis-knee replacement surgery sample included 148 people who were divided into two groups in a ratio of 1 : 1: one group used Mailuo Shutong pills during hospitalization (intervention group) and the other group did not (control group). The research conclusions are as follows. Meniscal Knee Arthroscopy. (1) Samples from different causes of injury showed significant differences for all injured sites. (2) Samples with different smoking and drinking histories all showed significant differences for the causes of injury. (3) Exercise hobby, exercise frequency, duration of each exercise and duration of exercise, and warm-up time before exercise all showed positive correlation. Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Surgery. (4) Samples from different causes of injury showed significant differences for all the injured sites. (5) Age has a significant negative influence on the wearing of shoes at ordinary times. (6) Exercise hobby: the warm-up time before exercise had a significant negative influence on the injured area. (7) Two groups of analysis items of exercise frequency, exercise duration and exercise duration, preexercise warm-up time, and exercise hobby were typically positively correlated. Total Knee Arthroplasty. (8) There was a significant difference of 0.01 between the hospitalization days of the intervention group and the control group (p < 0.01), and the hospitalization days of the intervention group were significantly lower than those of the control group. These results indicated that Mailuo Shutong pills were of great significance for the treatment of orthopedic patients during the operation period in that it could effectively shorten the hospital stay of all orthopedic patients and strengthen the accelerated rehabilitation. (9) There was a significant positive correlation between the history of knee joint surgery and the use time of Mailuo Shutong pills. (10) There was a markable positive correlation between occupation and sports hobbies, sports time, frequency and duration, and footwear. There was a significant negative correlation between occupation and preexercise warm-up. (11) Exercise time, frequency, and duration have significant positive influence on BMI.