enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS)

An initiative at VUMC is helping patients recover more quickly from major surgery, leave the hospital earlier and have fewer side effects from their pain management. (photo by Joe Howell)
December 2, 2025

Ketamine fails surgical recovery trial

In a large, placebo-controlled, randomized trial, the pain reliever ketamine posed side effects while failing to aid patient recovery after major surgery.

By Paul Govern
An initiative at VUMC is helping patients recover more quickly from major surgery, leave the hospital earlier and have fewer side effects from their pain management. (photo by Joe Howell)
April 26, 2024

VUH adopts enhanced recovery for spine surgery

Vanderbilt University Medical Center is launching an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) pathway for the nearly 1,000 adult patients who undergo elective spine surgery each year at Vanderbilt University Hospital and Belle Meade Surgery Center.

By Paul Govern
October 13, 2022

VUH adopts enhanced recovery for sarcoma surgery

Vanderbilt’s latest enhanced recovery after surgery clinical pathway was launched last month for adult patients receiving surgery to remove extremity soft tissue sarcomas, which are cancerous tumors that can arise in muscles, tendons, fat, blood vessels and other connective tissue.

By Paul Govern
An initiative at VUMC is helping patients recover more quickly from major surgery, leave the hospital earlier and have fewer side effects from their pain management.
August 17, 2022

VUMC launches enhanced recovery for total joint replacement

Vanderbilt’s enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) program recently expanded to include the 1,400 patients per year who receive total hip replacement or total knee replacement surgery.

By Paul Govern
January 7, 2021

VA adopts enhanced recovery for total knee, total hip patients

For patients receiving total knee or total hip replacements at the Nashville VA Medical Center, the use of opioids for inpatient pain management and the total time patients spent in the hospital were both greatly reduced following the January 2016 adoption of sweeping quality improvement measures.

By Paul Govern
An initiative at VUMC is helping patients recover more quickly from major surgery, leave the hospital earlier and have fewer side effects from their pain management.
February 13, 2020

VUAH applies new approach for patient recovery after surgery

An initiative at VUMC is helping patients recover more quickly from major surgery, leave the hospital earlier and have fewer side effects from their pain management.

By Paul Govern
September 12, 2019

New clinic helps high-risk patients get ready for surgery

At VUMC's High-Risk Surgical Encounter (Hi-RiSE) Clinic, patients at higher risk of developing complications are comprehensively evaluated and interventions are efficiently coordinated and completed in the weeks leading up to surgery.
By Jill Clendening