Editor's note Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) guidelines continue to evolve for specific procedures with the goal to optimize patient recovery and surgical outcome. There is a recognized need for consensus on ERAS recommendations specific to surgery for moderate to severe degenerative cervical myelopathy (DMC)—progressive compression of the spinal cord…

Read More

Editor's Note Hospitals can reduce anesthesia costs by up to 30% and significantly curb provider burnout by embracing technology-enabled collaboration with anesthesiology practices, Surgical Directions August 27 reports. The report outlines how rising demand, workforce shortages, and variable pay structures have pushed anesthesia expenditures up sharply in recent years. Traditional…

Read More

Editor's Note Cesarean delivery remains the most common major surgery in the US, but new evidence highlights its impact on recovery, pain, and sleep health for mothers. In an American Medical Association (AMA) interview published by HCA Healthcare Today on October 10 and new research presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2025…

Read More

Editor's Note Standardized perioperative protocols can reduce hospital stays and costs for children undergoing surgery without affecting complication rates, JAMA Surgery August 20 reports. As detailed in this original investigation, the researchers evaluated the Minimizing Variance in Pediatric Surgery (MViPS) program, a fellow-led initiative launched in 2013 across two academic…

Read More

Editor's Note Opening a hospital-affiliated ambulatory surgery center (ASC) can shift healthier patients out of the hospital without compromising outcomes for those who remain, according to a new study published in the Journal of the AAOS Global Research & Reviews in April 2025. The retrospective analysis from Luminis Health Anne…

Read More

Editor's Note Implementing a multimodal analgesia-based enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol significantly reduced both intraoperative opioid administration and postoperative opioid prescriptions in cardiac surgery patients, according to a January 5 report in Anesthesiology News. The findings were presented at the 2024 International Anesthesia Research Society meeting by Montefiore-Einstein Center…

Read More

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) represents a transformative approach in modern surgical care, emphasizing evidence-based, multidisciplinary protocols to optimize patient recovery. Spanning decades, ERAS has grown from a novel concept into a global standard for perioperative care, with benefits that include shorter hospital stays, fewer complications, and reduced healthcare costs.…

Read More

Editor's Note Although women are underrepresented in high-compensation medical specialties, new research shows a significant increase in female applicants and matriculants to surgical specialties specifically. Published September 30 in JAMA Network, the study found that the proportion of women entering high-compensation surgical specialties rose from 28.8% to 42.4%. In contrast,…

Read More

Editor's Note The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) published a new toolkit geared toward helping to improve complications and enhance patient recovery after surgical procedures, AHRQ News Now June 27 reports. The new toolkit, titled Toolkit for Improving Surgical Care and Recovery, "addresses common surgical complications such as surgical…

Read More

Editor's Note In a recent study led by researchers at Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, OH, mobilization after elective surgery was found to be associated with fewer postoperative complications and shorter lengths of stay (LOS), and is an important component of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols. This retrospective observational study…

Read More