About ERAS

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A patient in recovery at Massachusetts General Hospital

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) at Massachusetts General Hospital is a patient-centered, evidence-based approach to surgical care that empowers you, the patient, to be a partner in your own care. Because all commonly performed procedures at Mass General set their standards to ERAS, you can be confident that you will receive best-known care before, during and after your procedure.

The ERAS team consists of clinicians involved in your care throughout the entire process, including pre-procedure preparation, the procedure itself, anesthesia, perioperative services, pharmacy, nursing, post-operative care and follow-up.

Each stage of ERAS is tailored to support you in your goals, such as to:

  • Minimize pain
  • Avoid complications
  • Improve recovery after the procedure
  • Decrease length of hospital stay
  • Allow for earlier return to daily life, such as normal diet and exercise

Patient Education by Procedure

Prior to your procedure, your care team will provide you with instructions, prescriptions and directions for how to pick up your supplies from the Mass General Pharmacy or elsewhere.

Mass General has created a variety of materials to help you prepare for your procedure, ensure better recovery and return to normal life as soon as possible.

Select your procedure below to view the corresponding patient guide:

Cesarean Section

Cesarean section, or C-section, is a surgical procedure to deliver a baby through an incision in the mother's abdomen.

Colectomy

A colectomy is surgery to remove all or part of the colon.

Mass General teams shares more about how the ERAS program is designed to ensure better preparation and recovery following colorectal procedures. Below, please access these videos in multiple languages:

View instructions in multiple languages on how to use the products that you receive prior to surgery to ensure an enhanced recovery after surgery:

Coronary Artery Bypass Graft

Coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) is a procedure used to treat coronary artery disease.

Cystectomy

A cystectomy is the surgical removal of all or part of the urinary bladder.

View instructions in multiple languages on how to use the products that you receive prior to surgery to ensure an enhanced recovery after surgery:

Gastrectomy

A gastrectomy is the surgical removal of a part or the whole of the stomach. View our patient guides, available in various languages:

View instructions in multiple languages on how to use the products that you receive prior to surgery to ensure an enhanced recovery after surgery:

Hepatectomy

A hepatectomy is the surgical removal of all or part of the liver.

Hysterectomy

A hysterectomy is the surgical removal of the uterus.

Open Hysterectomy

Minimally Invasive Hysterectomy

Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery

View instructions in multiple languages on how to use the products that you receive prior to surgery to ensure an enhanced recovery after surgery:

Interventional Radiology

Interventional radiology uses medical imaging guidance to perform various minimally-invasive procedures. View our patient guides, available in various languages:

Laminectomy

A laminectomy is a surgical procedure performed to treat central spinal stenosis, or narrowing of the spinal canal.

Mastectomy

A mastectomy is surgery to remove all breast tissue from a breast.

Pancreatectomy

A pancreatectomy is surgery to remove part or all of the pancreas.

Pediatric Tethered Cord Release

Tethered cord release surgery is a type of surgery to reduce or remove the tissue that is preventing the spinal cord from moving freely.

Temporomandibular Joint Surgery

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) surgery may be recommended to correct TMJ disorder, which is a condition that affects the joint of the jaw.

Thyroidectomy

A thyroidectomy is the surgical removal of all or part of the thyroid gland. View our patient guides, available in various languages:

Weight Loss Surgery

Metabolic and bariatric surgery, or weight loss surgery, treats obesity, weight disorders and metabolic disease.

View instructions in several languages on how to use the products that you receive prior to surgery to ensure an enhanced recovery after surgery:

Other Procedures

For a number of other procedures, Mass General has created materials to support your best experience and recovery. View our patient guides, available in various languages:

Enhanced Recovery Pathways by Procedure

Our surgical, anesthesia and nursing teams have designed and implemented evidence-based, multidisciplinary Enhanced Recovery pathways to improve post-procedure recovery and outcomes for patients.

View our Enhanced Recovery pathways

We are sharing our ERAS pathways as a way to foster collaboration with providers outside of Mass General.

A Selection of ERAS Initiatives and Publications