Outpatient Recovery After Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

What outcomes are important in the assessment of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) pathways?

“…However, whether the slopes of the recovery lines are different is not known they performed before surgery.'' 5 We have also identified similar themes in a qualitative study in which we interviewed discharged patients who underwent abdominal surgery at least one month prior (unpublished). Major themes identified from this work include patients experiencing a lack of physical endurance or energy postoperatively and an inability to perform or sustain their regular activities.…”

“…4 The ERAS Society guidelines also emphasize the importance of auditing adherence to the components of the program. 1 Yet patients equate recovery with return to their normal activities, 5 a process that occurs usually after discharge and requires a time frame of weeks to months. 6,7 It is not clear if interventions impacting shortterm biological changes will also have a downstream effect on longer-term recovery.…”

Psychological preparation for patients undergoing day surgery

“…This was attributed, in part, to good patient selection and adequate pre-operative teaching within the pre-assessment clinic. Kleinbeck and Hoffart (1994) This led to trial and error learning of everyday activities around the home. An audit by Rudkin et al (1996) also highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of day surgery pre-assessment clinics.…”

“…not being able to speak with the surgeon prior to discharge and the lack of information. In a qualitative study by Kleinbeck and Hoffart (1994) participants were unsure of which activities they could perform around the house in the initial post-operative period. They would have preferred more information concerning recovery at home i.e.…”

“…To enable both patients and their carers to gain much needed advice following discharge eight studies recommend the use of telephone helplines (Kempe and Gelazis 1985, Kleinbeck and Hoffart 1994, Lewin and Razis 1995, De Jesus et al 1996, Wedderburn et al 1996, Willis et al 1997, Heseltine and Edlington 1998, MacAndie and Bingham 1998. Moreover, in an in-depth study by Donoghue et al (1995) data collection partially involved a telephone interview.…”