[Evaluation of changes made in the peri-operative care in patients submitted to elective abdominal surgery].

Objective: To evaluate the results of the introduction of new measures to accelerate the postoperative recovery of patients undergoing elective abdominal surgery.

Methods: We observed 162 patients and interviewed them on two distinct periods: the first between October to December 2009 (n = 81) comprised patients who underwent conventional perioperative monitoring (pre-intervention) and the second between March and May 2010 (n = 81), formed by a new group of patients, submitted to the new protocol of perioperative monitoring. Data collection in the two periods occurred without the knowledge of the professionals in the service.