In plain words
Enhanced recovery after surgery, or ERAS, is a set of care steps used in many kinds of surgery. The team plans the whole path, from before the operation to going home. Typical steps include eating clear fluids before surgery, pain control that uses less strong medication, early walking, and early eating. The approach came from general surgery and has been adapted for , where it is called . If you are having a planned cesarean, ask your team whether they follow an ERAS or ERAC pathway. Many hospitals do, and the steps can often be explained ahead of time. Recovery still varies from person to person, and a team will want to hear if something feels wrong.
The deeper version
ERAS protocols, first described by Kehlet and colleagues in colorectal surgery in the late 1990s, combine evidence-based elements to reduce surgical stress and complications. The ERAS Society's guidelines for cesarean delivery (Macones et al., 2019) apply the framework to obstetric surgery. The approach emphasizes , early feeding, early mobilization, and early catheter removal. Systematic reviews of ERAS in cesarean report reduced length of stay and opioid use, with uncertain effects on breastfeeding and maternal satisfaction. Adherence and quality of implementation vary across units, and the individual components are not always separately evaluated.
Where it comes up
- Cesarean recovery, week by weekPostpartum: Your Body
- Planning a cesareanGetting Ready for Birth
- The hospital stay: what happens, what to askBirth and the First Days
- Eating for tissue healingNourishment and Traditions
What mothers here say about enhanced recovery after surgery
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Sources
- Macones GA et al. — Guidelines for postoperative care in cesarean delivery: Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Society recommendations (part 3). American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2019
- Kehlet H — Multimodal approach to control postoperative pathophysiology and rehabilitation. British Journal of Anaesthesia, 1997