Slovenská chirurgia 1/2022

Principles of the ERAS concept in patients undergoing knee arthroplasty

Based on currently available evidence, we present a model pathway of the ERAS concept consisting of several steps forming a compact unit in the perioperative care of patients undergoing knee arthroplasty. For a successful implementation of the concept, a multidisciplinary approach of all specializations involved in the hospitalization process of the patient - anaesthesiologists, orthopedic surgeons, physiotherapists and nurses - is paramount. With the implementation of the concept into clinical practice according to the current state of scientific knowledge, many benefits have been achieved, such as: a reduced number of serious complications and a decreased mortality in high-risk patients undergoing TKA, improved short-term clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction, shortened hospital stays from 4-10 days to 1-3 days, and at the same time, a reduction of the total hospital cost per patient.

Keywords: ERAS, potentiated convalescence, knee arthroplasty, multimodal analgesia, multidisciplinary approach