Kathryn's Story
Read how Gynecologic Surgery ERAS helped Kathryn recover quickly.
Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS)
Gynecologic Surgery ERAS
New Patient Appointment or 214-645-8300
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’re in the hospital after surgery.
- Decrease your likelihood of having to return to the hospital after discharge.
Prior to 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: 214-645-3838 (main campus); 214-692-3100 (Park Cities); 972-401-3200 (Las Colinas).
- We will call you to provide instructions for surgery and medications prior to surgery. You might also be scheduled for an appointment in our pre-surgical testing clinic to meet with our anesthesia team or have bloodwork drawn.
- We might request testing from your other physicians.
- Call our pre-surgical testing clinic with any questions: 214-633-4202.
- Lifestyle modifications:
- We encourage you to stop smoking and consuming alcohol for one month prior to surgery.
- We encourage you to 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) up to two hours before your surgery start time.
- Drink either a bottle of water or a 20-oz. Gatorade on the way to the hospital, at least two hours before your surgery start time.
- In the pre-op area, you will receive oral non-narcotic pain medications (acetaminophen and gabapentin) 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 or monitors if necessary.
- You will receive multiple medications during surgery to treat pain and nausea.
- There will be a specific and tailored anesthetic protocol to decrease the stress on your body, improve pain control, and accelerate your recovery.
- A nerve block or a catheter for continuous pain medication might be placed during the procedure. This is designed to decrease your postoperative pain and need for IV and oral pain medications.
Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) and After
- You will wake up in our post-anesthesia care unit (PACU).
- You will be asked to chew gum and ice chips and to drink clear liquids to help with recovery of bowel function.
- You will be given an incentive spirometer to help you to 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.