Video: “No drugs or devices need for surgery recovery method sparked in Pittsburgh,” Pittsburgh WTAE News, December 2, 2016.
In July 2015, UPMC launched its pioneer Enhanced Recovery Program (ERP), internationally recognized as ERAS® (Enhanced Recovery After Surgery). The ERP protocols encompass a multimodal approach to surgical care. Major components of these protocols include: limiting fasting prior to surgery, intraoperative goal-directed fluid therapy, adequate pain control while minimizing opioid use, early ambulation, early postoperative enteral nutrition, and nausea/vomiting prophylaxis.
ERP protocols are designed to:
- Reduce surgical stress and maintain post-operative physiological function
- Reduce rates of complications
- Facilitate a faster recovery in the hospital and faster return to preoperative functional state
- Improve patient/family satisfaction
ERP success has been shown at UPMC hospitals by reducing length of stay by two to three days and decreasing patient-controlled analgesia by 80% after complex abdominal surgery. Success is achieved through evidence-based pathways utilized throughout the entire perioperative period, including in the preoperative outpatient setting.
The UPMC Enhanced Recovery Program has been proven to help patients recover from surgery faster and with less pain, with the use of minimal to no opioids postoperatively.
Meet the ERP leadership team.
ERP has been recognized with several awards and has been spotlighted in the press.
Learn about the types of surgery that qualify for ERP.
ERP is currently available at six participating UPMC hospitals.
Contact the ERP leadership team