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Results of Implementing an Enhanced Recovery After Bariatric Surgery (ERABS) Protocol

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Abstract

Background

With the increasing prevalence of morbid obesity and healthcare costs in general, interest is shown in safe, efficient, and cost-effective bariatric care. This study describes an Enhanced Recovery After Bariatric Surgery (ERABS) protocol and the results of implementing such protocol on procedural times, length of stay in hospital (LOS), and the number of complications, such as readmissions and reoperations.

Methods

Results of implementing an ERABS protocol were analyzed by comparing a cohort treated according to the ERABS protocol (2012–2014) with a cohort treated before implementing ERABS (2010–2012). Differences between both cohorts were analyzed using independent t tests and chi-squared tests.

Results

A total of 1.967 patients (mean age 43.3 years, 80 % female) underwent a primary bariatric procedure between 2010 and 2014, of which 1.313 procedures were performed after implementation of ERABS. A significant decrease of procedural times and a significantly decreased LOS, from 3.2 to 2.0 nights (p < 0.001), were seen after implementation of ERABS. Significantly more complications were seen post-ERABS (16.1 vs. 20.7 %, p = 0.013), although no significant differences were seen in the number of major complications.

Conclusion

Implementation of ERABS can result in shorter procedural times and a decreased LOS, which may lead to more efficient and cost-effective bariatric care. The increase in complications was possibly due to better registration of complications.

The main goal of an ERABS protocol is efficient, safe, and evidence-based bariatric care, which can be achieved by standardization of the total process.

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Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

For this type of study, formal consent is not required.

Informed Consent Statement

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Human and Animal Rights Statement

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. For this type of study, formal consent is not required.

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Department of Surgery, Sint Franciscus Gasthuis, PO Box 10900, 3004 BA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

      Guido H. H. Mannaerts, Stefanie R. van Mil, Martin Dunkelgrün, Hans F. Zengerink & L. Ulas Biter

    2. Department of Surgery, Tawam Hospital, PO Box 15258, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates

      Guido H. H. Mannaerts

    3. Operation room management, Catharina Ziekenhuis, PO Box 1350, 5602 ZA, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

      Pieter S. Stepaniak

    4. Department of Anesthesiology, Sint Franciscus Gasthuis, PO Box 10900, 3004 BA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

      Marcel de Quelerij & Serge J. Verbrugge

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    1. Guido H. H. Mannaerts
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    Correspondence to Guido H. H. Mannaerts.

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    Guido H. H. Mannaerts and Stefanie R. van Mil contributed equally to this work.

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    Mannaerts, G.H.H., van Mil, S.R., Stepaniak, P.S. et al. Results of Implementing an Enhanced Recovery After Bariatric Surgery (ERABS) Protocol. OBES SURG 26, 303–312 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-015-1742-3

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