ERAS Program Expedites Recovery for Congenital Heart Surgery Patients

This press briefing was shared during the virtual STS 57th Annual Meeting (January 29-31, 2021). For more information, contact [email protected].

Select patients born with heart defects and who undergo congenital heart surgery recover with few complications and reduced opioid use when a comprehensive, evidence-based enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) program is used, according to research presented at the 57th Annual Meeting of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.

“We have embarked on a new paradigm for patient care with the goal of improving recovery, patient experience, and the value of care that we provide,” said Nathalie Roy, MD, from Boston Children’s Hospital in Massachusetts. “The early findings show promise that such programs can be a game-changer in cardiovascular care.”

Dr. Roy and colleagues collected data from eligible patients who had elective surgery for simple or moderately complex congenital heart defects at Boston Children’s Hospital from October 2018 to February 2020. During the study period, 559 patients underwent congenital heart surgery as part of a protocol-driven, multidisciplinary ERAS cardiac surgery program. The ERAS patients were identified before surgery, while the decision to remain in the program was based on surgical results.

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