BMJ  2007;334:816-817 (21 April), doi:10.1136/bmj.39188.666111.DB

News

New approach to surgical care aims to improve recovery and reduce length of hospital stay

London

A new approach to major surgery is being introduced in two London hospital trusts, with the potential to reduce significantly the length of time patients stay in hospital. The approach combines better preoperative assessment, intraoperative monitoring, and postoperative recovery.

The enhanced surgical treatment and recovery programme (ESTREP) combines preoperative and postoperative aspects of other programmes that have previously been shown to improve the outcomes of surgery with an additional element of specialist anaesthetic monitoring and care during operations.

It has been developed by colorectal surgeons at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which will extend it to all colorectal surgery from next week, and from Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, which has been using the programme for all patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery over the past six months. The results are being audited and the surgeons hope to publish their findings later in the year.

Andrew Williams, . . . [Full text of this article]

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This article has been cited by other articles:

• Schwenk, W. (2007). How new is new?. BMJ 334: 916-916 [Full text]  

Rapid Responses:

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How new is new?

Wolfgang Schwenk
bmj.com, 20 Apr 2007 [Full text]

The Bloomsbury Medical Journal?

R Jonathan T Wilson
bmj.com, 25 Apr 2007 [Full text]

Enhanced surgical treatment and recovery programmes demand a multidisciplinary approach

Neil G Smart
bmj.com, 25 Apr 2007 [Full text]

Training courses for the 'New Approach to Surgical Care'

Robin Kennedy
bmj.com, 13 May 2007 [Full text]