Summary: <a href="https://mainehealth.org/provider-directory/f/fitzgerald-timothy-l">Tim Fitzgerald, MD</a> is a surgical oncologist and Director of Surgical Oncology at Maine Medical Center and MaineHealth. He is an Associate Professor of Surgery at Tufts University School of Medicine and specializes in complex gastrointestinal surgery. Dr Fitzgerald has published and lectured extensively on enhanced recovery programs for the perioperative environment. His implementation of an enhanced recovery program for complex gastrointestinal surgical patients at a tertiary medical center in North Carolina resulted in significant reduction in length of stay, decreased mortality and decreased cost.<br> Dr Fitzgerald joined me to record a three-part series on enhanced recovery programs (colloquially referred to as “ERAS” programs). In part 1, we discuss the realm of quality in healthcare and why enhanced recovery programs matter. In part 2, we take a deep dive into the details of enhanced recovery programs from the pre-hospital phase through the post-operative phase of care. In part 3, we discuss the concept of frailty and optimizing patient care in the perioperative surgical home.<br> The <a href="https://www.aana.com/practice/clinical-practice-resources/enhanced-recovery-after-surgery">American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA)</a> offers a public website with links to numerous consensus guidelines and resources related to implementing enhanced recovery programs.<br> Sources:<br> <br> * Timothy L., F., Catalina, M., Nicholas J., K., Nasreen A., V., Kimberly V., E., & Emmanuel E., Z. (2016). Enhanced Recovery after Surgery in a Single High-Volume Surgical Oncology Unit: Details Matter. Surgery Research And Practice, Vol 2016 (2016), doi:10.1155/2016/6830260<br> * Mosquera, C., Koutlas, N., Fitzgerald, T. (2016) A single surgeon’s experienced with enhanced recovery after surgery: an army of one. The American Surgeon. 82 (7), 594-601.<br> * AANA. (2017). Enhanced recovery after surgery: considerations for pathway development and implementation. American Association of Nurse Anesthetists. Retrieved from https://www.aana.com/docs/default-source/practice-aana-com-web-documents-(all)/enhanced-recovery-after-surgery.pdf?sfvrsn=6d184ab1_6<br> <br> <br>
