Our female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery ERAS program is designed to help patients return to health more quickly after undergoing surgery.
Goals
Make this an ideal surgical experience for you, the patient.
Incorporate innovative pain medications to improve your postoperative pain control while decreasing your narcotic needs.
Prevent potential surgical and anesthesia complications.
Reduce the amount of time you are in the hospital after surgery.
Decrease the likelihood of having to return to the hospital after discharge.
Before Surgery
Your surgeon will meet with you to explain surgical plans and set your expectations for surgery.
Contact your surgeon via MyChart or call the Surgical Clinic with questions: 214-645-8300.
We will provide instructions for surgery and medications via a phone call before surgery. You may also be scheduled for an appointment in our Pre-Surgical Testing Clinic to meet with our anesthesia team or have blood work drawn.
We may request testing from your other physicians.
Call our Pre-Surgical Testing Clinic with any questions: 214-633-4202.
Lifestyle modification:
We encourage you to stop smoking and/or consuming alcohol for one month prior to surgery.
We encourage you increase your physical activity prior to surgery.
Eat a balanced, healthy diet and remain hydrated.
On the night before surgery, do not eat solid foods after 11 p.m.
Follow any instructions directly from your surgeon.
You can drink clear liquids (such as water, Gatorade, or Sprite) until two hours before your surgery start time.
In the pre-op area, you will receive non-narcotic pain medications (acetaminophen and celecoxib) to improve your postoperative pain.
During Surgery
You will receive general anesthesia and be completely asleep during the procedure.
Your anesthesia team will monitor you very closely while you are asleep and will insert additional intravenous (IV) lines if necessary.
You will receive multiple medications during surgery to treat pain and prevent nausea.
We have designed a specific and tailored anesthetic protocol to decrease the stress on your body, improve pain control, and accelerate your recovery.
A nerve block might be placed during the procedure. This is designed to decrease your postoperative pain and need for IV and oral pain medications.
After Surgery
You will wake up in our Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU).
You will be asked to chew gum and ice chips and drink clear liquids to help with recovery of bowel function.
You will be given an incentive spirometer to help you take deep breaths.
Depending on your surgeon and procedure, you might go home the same day of surgery or be admitted to the hospital.
Starting on the day of your surgery, we encourage you to get out of bed and walk with help from your nurse.
Try to increase the distance and frequency of your walks each day; doing so will help your bowel function return to normal, prevent deconditioning, and speed up your recovery.
Unless instructed otherwise by your nurse or surgeon, you will be able to eat a normal diet the day of your surgery. Continue to chew gum or hard candy as well.
You will take scheduled non-opioid pain medications during your recovery and have narcotic medications available for breakthrough pain if necessary.
