Enhanced Recovery Decreases Pulmonary and Cardiac Complications After Thoracotomy for Lung Cancer.

Background: Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) pathways aim to improve postoperative recovery through evidence-based practices, including early ambulation, multimodal opioid-sparing analgesia, and reduction of surgical stress. This study evaluated outcomes after implementation of ERAS in patients undergoing resection for pulmonary malignancy.

Methods: A retrospective review compared outcomes for patients undergoing pulmonary resection for primary lung cancer.

Pain Management in an Enhanced Recovery Pathway After Thoracic Surgical Procedures.

Pain management is the backbone of enhanced recovery after thoracic surgery (ERATS) care maps, which aim to save time in the operating room, shorten hospital stays, and reduce pain-related adverse events. We describe a systematic approach developed at our institutions to manage pain in patients undergoing thoracic surgical procedures.

Impact of a Fast-track Esophagectomy Protocol on Esophageal Cancer Patient Outcomes and Hospital Charges.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of a fast-track esophagectomy protocol (FTEP) on esophageal cancer patients' safety, length of hospital stay (LOS), and hospital charges.

Background: FTEP involved transferring patients to the telemetry unit instead of the surgical intensive care unit (SICU) after esophagectomy.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 708 consecutive patients who underwent esophagectomy for primary esophageal cancer during the 4 years before (group A; 322 patients) or 4 years after (group B; 386 patients) the institution of an FTEP.