Zagreb, Croatia 2019.
After a year of preparation, we started our project to evaluate the application of the ERAS (Early Recovery After Surgery) protocol in orthopedics and traumatology at the Department of Traumatology and Bone and Joint Surgery, Clinical Hospital Center Zagreb.
The multimodal ERAS protocol is an integrated multidisciplinary approach that requires the active involvement of patients, surgeons, anesthesiologists, pain specialists, physiotherapists, nurses and technicians, paramedics, psychiatrists and psychologists, and many others.
The objective of the protocol is to reduce surgical trauma and post-operative pain, reduce complications, shorten hospital treatment and improve postoperative recovery. In line with global trends, we improve all steps in the patient’s surgical treatment and develop the patient’s awareness of their own participation in the treatment process. The guiding idea is that providing adequate education before surgery, early recognition of the risk of possible complications together with optimal plans of anesthesia and analgesia, allows the patients earlier mobility.
The patient will then have the ability to achieve rehabilitation goals earlier and progress much faster compared to the time period of the standard protocol. This will enable him to be discharged from the hospital earlier, shortened time of hospital treatment and the reduction of hospital-related complications. The ultimate goal is for all patients to achieve a safer and earlier discharge from the hospital than before, including those with chronic illnesses and with the same level of recovery quality.
By using the ERAS protocol, we will prove a significant improvement in the results and quality of care that the patient receives, but also the financial usefulness for hospitals and for the health system in general. We are the first to carry out the project in Croatia according to the adapted ERAS protocol of the Croatian Society for Accelerated Recovery after Surgery at the Croatian Medical Association.