Enhanced Recovery after Cardiac Surgery: An Update on Clinical Implications

Cardiac ERAS represents a common sense appreciation for the mediation or modulation of the stress response to surgery, anesthetic management to facilitate recovery, and a heavy emphasis on practical strategies initiated before surgery to enhance recovery postoperatively. This review builds upon ERAS investigations over the past 20 years and represents the best practice strategies for cardiac surgical patients. These strategies require a buy-in from all stakeholders, including surgeons, nurses, and administration. Forming a Cardiac ERAS group at each hospital facility will help build team consensus and gain support for its implementation, with anesthesia providers playing a critical role in this process. At present, reimbursement is typically bundled, and this means that improved recovery and ultimate discharge home without return to the hospital is financially beneficial to the facility and directly improves outcomes of patients.