title: Quality and Safety in Health Care, Part XVIII: Improving Outcomes in Colorectal Surgery.
abstract: An important way to improve outcomes after colorectal surgery is to follow the recommendations of the enhanced recovery pathway after surgery (ERAS). The ERAS guidelines are recommendations that address certain aspects of what should be done before surgery, in the operating room, and following surgery. There is a substantial fall in complications and a decrease in the length of stay for the patient if the recommendations are followed. Elements of the ERAS program are now being adopted for other surgical procedures besides colorectal surgery.
authors.affiliation: From the Advanced Radiology Services and the Division of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, College of Human Services, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI.
authors.forename: Jay A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Harolds
mesh_terms: D003107:Colorectal Surgery / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011787:Quality of Health Care