Fast Track

Enhanced recovery after surgery procedures are a set of measures taken to reduce surgi-cal stress (or aggression) in order to make operative follow-up less complicated.
The duration of hospitalisation theoretically varies from a few days to more than two weeks (depending on the course of events). Beyond the necessary and usual medical supervi-sion, the comfort of patients during this period is a top priority.
It has now been shown that a partial change in management (before, during, and after surgery) could not only shorten the length of stay after surgery, but also reduce the risk of general complications.
Your role in this care is essential. Your participation starts from the first medical consul-tation before the operation and continues after, and even beyond, your hospital stay. You be-come an actor of your care throughout this period. You are directly involved in the enhanced recovery procedure as follows:

BEFORE SURGERY :

– if your health requires it, by participating in this phase of preparation for surgery called pre-rehabilitation
– by reading and understanding the principle of these procedures
– by understanding the fact that these procedures are not designed to “drive you away” from the hospital, but rather to avoid an unnecessarily prolonged stay (risk of nosocomial infections)
– by committing to actively participating in the procedures
– by following the prescription of clear drinks (possibly sweetened) up until two hours be-fore surgery
– by taking all the right measures that will enable you to leave the hospital as soon as the conditions are met, in agreement with the medical team.

AFTER SURGERY AND DURING YOUR HOSPITAL STAY :

– by getting out of bed on the afternoon of the day of surgery
– by following, as far as possible, the feeding requirements
– by leaving the room to walk down the service corridor as soon as possible
– by pressing the button on the pain machine whenever necessary
– by reporting any abnormal event

AFTER BEING DISCHARGED FROM THE HOSPITAL :

– by striving to resume your usual activities as quickly as possible
– by contacting your physician or referring surgeon whenever necessary
If personal conditions do not allow for a quick discharge, all the necessary measures must be taken well before the programming of surgery to find an adequate solution. Especially since it is now admitted that an unnecessarily prolonged stay in the hospital is not without risk.