New era of Bowel Surgery Recovery begins in Bay of Plenty and Waikato

30 July 2012

The Midland region is entering a new era in preparation and recovery from bowel surgery, with the introduction of the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) programme.

Wendy Carey, Project Manager of Surgical Services, says that the programme, which was originally developed in Denmark, has resulted in many benefits to both patients and staff.

Anaesthetic and surgical protocols have been developed to reduce the stress of surgery, to improve pain relief and to enhance patient recovery. Under this programme, the average length of stay in hospital after a bowel resection can be greatly reduced.