9th ERAS World Congress May 31st – June 2nd 2023 in Lisbon Portugal

The 9th ERAS® World Congress was held between 31st May – 2nd  June 2023, at the Hotel Marriott, Lisbon, Portugal

ERAS Society Chairman – Dr Hans de Boer giving the welcome address.

The congress was jointly organised by the ERAS Society and Prof Rui Maio, Clinical Director (Catedrático de Cirurgia da FCM-NMS) of Hospital da Luz Arrabida and ERAS Center.

As in previous years, it consisted of the ERAS® Course followed by the Scientific Programme. Throughout the Congress, they were many excellent lectures from experts from around the world.

The ERAS® educational course was again a hugely popular event, and with the delegates learning about the relevant physiology underpinning the concepts of ERAS®. This year it was condensed into a morning course. This allowed time to have a number of different break out specialty meetings. Which consisted of the nursing, ANP & AHP group (including a separate French nurses meeting), Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Paediatrics, Cardiac, Urology and Orthopaedic/Spine, and Vascular group meetings. Furthermore, the new installed LMIC Committee of the ERAS Society announced their ambitious plans to have ERAS available in LMIC. All of which were hugely popular and provided a great opportunity for different groups to discuss the various issues around their different specialities. This was followed by a highly enjoyable drinks reception, where everyone was able to network, view posters and meet with our sponsors.

A packed conference room for the popular nursing ANP & AHP group.

The Main Scientific Programme started the next day, with a session devoted to problem solving issues around the ‘problem’ patient and how ERAS might be able to help. (This included preoperative preparation of the patient with inflammatory bowel disease, intestinal failure and diabetes)

The prestigious Henrik Kehlet Lecture by Professor Bernadette Kumar from Norway, entitled Inequalities in Global Health. Prof Kumar is a Public Health Epidemiologist with over 30 years of global health experience. Giving a fascinating insight into the many inequalities that exist within health care today. Whilst enforcing the global health priorities – the 3 C’s. Climate change, COVID and Conflict (of particular importance as we had a delegate from war torn Ukraine).

Professor Bernadette Kumar being congratulated by Professors Henrik Kehlet and Dileep Lobo.

This was followed by ERAS advances in key specialities session on emergency laparotomy, obstetrics and gynaecology, HPB, paediatrics and cardiac.

The afternoon session started off with an interesting session on current controversies including large trials in fluid therapy – are there problems? Prehabilitation for all or some? And finally prolonged VTE prophylaxis.

The day closed with the always popular best abstract presentations and rapid fire presentations.

The second day of the Congress began with a debate whether opioid free analgesia and anaesthesia is the way forward.

Followed by the inaugural Olle Ljungqvist Lecture. Fittingly it was given by Olle’s long-term friend and colleague Professor Arthur Revhaug a fellow surgeon from Norway.

Professor Arthur Revhaug receiving his commemorative plaque from Chairman Dr Hans de Boer

The morning session continued with sessions on basic sciences and important talks about how to get engagement from management.

The afternoon session started with Ken Fearon lecture, in memory Co-founder and Chairman of the ERAS Society Board.  A truly fascinating talk was given by Dr Jugdeep Dhesi on how a geriatrician can influence surgical recovery. Which included invaluable strategies on how to manage frailty and postoperative delirium.

Professors Olle Ljungqvist and Bill Fawcett congratulating Dr Jugdeep Dhesi 

The final sessions were on health literacy and outcomes of meaning for patients, separate sessions on the role of the nurse, dietician and physiotherapist in a successful ERAS pathway. Then finally on regional anaesthesia and ERAS: are epidurals obsolete?, TAP blocks and regional anaesthesia for limb surgery.

The Congress concluded with our Scientific Chairman Professor Dileep Lobo awarding prizes to Bayley Jones wining the nursing ANP & AHP Abstract Prize with a talk entitled “Preoperative education is associated with adherence to individual components of enhanced recovery”. The poster of distinction prize was won by Prof Marco Catarci from Italy. The rapid fire presentation was won by Tyler McKechnie  from Canada. A systematic review and meta-analysis”; with the runner up Allyson Cochran from the United States.

The best presentation prize was won by Rico Wiesenberger from Germany and the runner up prize was awarded to Marta Sandini from Italy, see below for more details:

Poster Prize winner:

Marco Catarci: Does an enhanced recovery pathway influence major outcomes after colorectal surgery?

Prof Marco Catarci receiving his prize from Dr Hans de Boer

Rapid fire presentations:

Winner  –

Tyler McKechnie: Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Protocols Following Emergency Intra-Abdominal Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Runner up –

Allyson Cochrane: ERAS Recommendations that Most Impact Care: A Multi-Institutional, Multi-Discipline Analysis in the United States

Allyson Cochrane receiving her runner-up prize of the ERAS textbook from Dr Hans de Boer

Best abstract:

Winner  –

Rico Wiesenberger: Influence of Motivational Interviewing on postoperative mobilization in the ERAS®-Pathway in elective bowel surgery – a randomized blinded pilot study

Runner up –

Marta Sandini: Parenteral nutrition use in digestive surgical patients mismatches actual food intake: Analysis from nutrition Day 2016-2021

There were many highlights of the Congress. Certainly, the Henrik Kehlet,  Ken Fearon  and new Olle Ljungqvist Lectures were all outstanding and thought provoking in equal measure.

The popularity of the congress continues to grow, with almost 500 delegates attending, and importantly representation from 41 different countries!

We also had 143 accepted abstracts presented as posters and oral presentations. It is always exciting to see so many new people present their work , which was a very high standard this year. It is these talented researchers that will grow the evidence base which underpins the future success of ERAS®.

The huge success of the Congress is made possible only by the hard work of the Organising Committee and the Local Committee, to whom we express our sincere gratitude. In addition, we are most grateful to the sponsorship we receive from industry and the expert assistance from PRRI.

The 10th ERAS® World Congress is already being planned for, and the location will be announced soon and we look forward to welcoming you and your teams there!

For those who were successful in getting abstracts accepted, they have been published by Clinical Nutrition – ESPEN here.