Enhanced Recovery After Surgery in Colorectal Surgery: A Large-Scale Quality Improvement Project

Multimodal perioperative care pathways have evolved into enhanced recovery after surgery
(ERAS). ERAS pathways improve the quality of patient care, reduce morbidity, and shorten
length of stay. This large quality improvement project will compare outcomes after standard
perioperative practice with those after the implementation of a multi-modal evidence based
care pathway, including standardized preoperative preparation, perioperative goal-directed
fluid therapy (GFDT), multi-modal perioperative pain management, post operative nausea and
vomiting prevention, surgical care and bowel isolation, and surgical site infection
prevention. This project will test the hypothesis that implementation of a multi-modal ERAS
perioperative care protocol in colorectal surgical patients will result in significantly
reduced perioperative morbidity and mortality.

Inclusion Criteria:

- All patients who underwent colorectal surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center
and whose data is stored in the perioperative data warehouse.

Exclusion Criteria:

- Age <18 years

- Weight <40 kg