Perioperative Rehab

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols are perioperative care pathways designed to achieve early recovery after surgical procedures. Physiotherapy plays an important role in the ERAS protocol’s preoperative and postoperative routines. Preoperative physiotherapy preps the body for the forthcoming physiological stress and postoperative physiotherapy helps achieve functional recovery. Good evidence shows early mobilization, a key element of ERAS, facilitates recovery, however, barriers (e.g. pain, physiological instability) are common in most situations, therefore it is always advisable to engage a multidisciplinary team to ensure patient safety.