Among outpatient orthopedic postoperative patients (18-85 years of age) (P), can the implementation of an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol (I), compared to the absence of a standardized postoperative pain management protocol (C), improve acute pain control, reduce the incidence of opioid-related adverse effects, and promote positive patient outcomes (O) over a period of 3 months (T)?
Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols have been used across multiple surgical fields to improve post-operative outcomes and effectively control pain while minimizing the risk of secondary complications. Recently, more research has demonstrated the validity of ERAS in the field of orthopedic surgery. Cui et al. (2019) and Jiang et al. (2019) found a correlation between the implementation of an ERAS protocol and favorable post-operative outcomes compared to the use of conventional care pathways. Hu et al. (2019) echoed these findings with its systematic review bolstering the applicability of ERAS following orthopedic surgery. Emerging themes among these studies included enhanced patient recovery, reduced reliance on opioid pain medication, decreased incidence of postoperative complications, and adequate pain control (Hu et al., 2019). Although the evidence supporting the role of ERAS in orthopedics is apparent, unique patient needs and variations in orthopedic surgery expectations should be considered. The improvement of surgical outcomes while mitigating postoperative pain should be a primary focus of all health care systems, and ERAS has succeeded in meeting this objective (Cui et al., 2019).