March 16, 2017 In News By Tom Wainwright

Successful 1st ERAS conference in Colombia

We’re pleased to announce the first ERAS Colombian Symposium, which was packed with local and international (Dr. Adrian Alvarez from Argentina) ERAS clinical experts.

The ERAS Colombia 2017 Symposium was hosted by the XXIV Anesthesiology Course of COLSANITAS Clinics to facilitate local Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) best practices.

In the meeting held in Bogotá, Colombia, anesthesiology and surgery colleagues and nursing, nutrition and physical therapist professionals, provided stimulating presentations on Saturday, February 18.

Topics presented included findings on patients experience and interactive discussions regarding the post-operative care of colonic surgery patients. It was an exceptional opportunity for clinical professionals, key opinion leaders, industry partners and health system administrators, committed to the improvement of perioperative care.

Pictured above from left to right
Standing:
JUAN CARLOS BARRIGA  – GENERAL SURGEON
JAIRO BETANCOURT – ANESTHESIOLOGIST
ALVARO SARMIENTO – ANESTHESIA DEPARTMENT CHIEF
EDUARDO ZARATE – ANESTHESIOLOGIST ERAS LIDER
ADRIAN ALVAREZ – ANESTHESIOLOGIST ERAS LATAM LIDER
ARNOLD BARRIOS – GENERAL SURGEON CHIEF DEPARTMENT
FREDDY MENDIVELSO – EPIDEMIOLOGIST
RAUL GUEVARA – GENERAL SURGEON
FRANCISCO PETANO – GENERAL SURGERY RESIDENT II
JOAQUIN LUNA – GYNAECOLOGY CHIEF DEPARTMENT

Seated:
DIANA BELLON – PHYSIOTHERAPIST ERAS TEAM
VIVIAN PINEDA – ERAS TEAM NURSE
IVETTE PEREZ – ERAS TEAM NUTRICIONIST
ANGELA NAVAS – ERAS TEAM COORDINATOR
LAURA TINOCO  – GENERAL SURGERY RESIDENT I
GLORIA FLOREZ  – GENERAL SURGERY RESIDENT II

 

February 2, 2017 In News By Tom Wainwright

Dr Gregg Nelson appointed as new Secretary of the Executive Committee

It is with great pleasure that the ERAS® Society announces the appointment of Dr Gregg Nelson from Calgary Canada as the new Secretary of the Executive Committee.

Dr. Gregg Nelson obtained his MD and PhD degrees at the University of Calgary (Alberta, Canada) and subsequently continued on to complete his sub-specialization in Gynecologic Oncology at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre.  He is Associate Professor in the Departments of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Oncology at the Cumming School of Medicine in Calgary and is Chair of the Provincial Gynecologic Oncology Tumor Team.  Dr. Nelson’s principal research interest is the development of enhanced recovery protocols in surgery and he holds the position of Surgical Lead, ERAS Alberta.  Dr. Nelson leads the international group that published the ERAS Guidelines for Gynecologic/Oncology Surgery and is the Chair of the Gynecology Chapter of the ERAS® Society.

With the growing presence in North America of the ERAS Society and the excellent experiences from Alberta the Society is particularly pleased to have Dr. Nelson serving at a central position of the ERAS® Society.

Olle Ljungqvist, Chairman the Executive Committee

January 16, 2017 In News By Tom Wainwright

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery: A Review in JAMA Surgery

PictureERAS

On the 11th January 2017, Olle Ljungqvist, Michael Scott, and Ken Fearon published an excellent ERAS review article in JAMA Surgery.

The article outlines the rationale for ERAS, details it’s implementation across the surgical specialities, the outcomes achieved, the financial benefits, and the future for ERAS.

Click here to go to the JAMA website in order to access the article free.

Click here to read an expert review of the article by Bill Fawcett.

January 12, 2017 In News By Tom Wainwright

ERAS – Gynaecology Webcast

Enhanced Recovery: The New Standard for Perioperative Care in Gynaecologic Oncology

Join the Webcast live Jan. 16, 2017

 

We’re excited to present SGO’s first live webcast from the Mayo Clinic on Jan. 16, 2017, at 12 noon Central (GMT – 6:00). If you are not available at this time, as always, you may register for this program on demand.

Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS) is the wave of the future for many specialties, including Gynaecologic Oncology.  Our session on ERAS at the 2016 annual meeting generated much conversation and requests for further education on the subject.  This series will teach you the history, guidelines and tools for implementation of an ERAS program at your institution.

Experts in this emerging field will present up to date information and real world experience.

Each installment will have a specific focus.

January 16, 2017 – Session I: What is ERAS and how can it help us? – Jamie Bakkum-Gamez, MD, Sean Dowdy, MD, and Gregg Nelson, MD

  • History and background of ERAS
  • Generating buy in as a cost saving technique
  • Importance of monitoring protocol compliance
  • Outcomes data
  • Full team engagement

April 19, 2017 – Session II: Implementing ERAS, the Nuts and Bolts – Jamie Bakkum-Gamez, MD, Sean Dowdy, MD, and Pedro Ramirez, MD

  • Educating staff and patients on ERAS protocol
  • Managing expectations
  • Data capture
  • Tools for quality improvement
  • Monitoring your program

Please join us for this live session, and have your questions answered in real time.  This program is presented through SGO’s Education Portal, Connect Ed.

Register here http://sgo.peachnewmedia.com/store/seminar/seminar.php?seminar=87100

November 30, 2016 In News By Tom Wainwright

Updated ERAS reading list

Thank you to Dorthe Hjort Jakobsen for updating the bibliography page within the Nursing and AHP section of the website.

This is a fantastic resource for all involved in ERAS with a reading list highlighting the key papers in the areas of nursing, patient information, patient and relative satisfaction, and implementation. Click here to go directly to the page.

November 21, 2016 In News By Tom Wainwright

ERAS Seminar Report – Cape Town, South Africa

Eighteen months after registering their first ERAS patient, the team in Cape Town held their first education seminar on Monday 26th September 2016. 73 delegates from four Cape Town hospitals attended the daylong meeting, with representatives from all the professions involved in the ERAS multi-disciplinary team.

Thank you to ERAS Nurse Co-Ordinator, Fiona Pieterse for this great report and pictures.

ERAS Seminar Report – Cape Town

November 1, 2016 In News By Tom Wainwright

ERAS Nursing group bids farewell to Dorthe Hjort Jakobsen

dortheIt is with a heavy heart that we must say farewell to our friend and colleague Dorthe Hjort Jakobsen. After chairing the ERAS Society Nursing Group for several years, Dorthe has decided to step down and concentrate on her role as local improvement facilitator in Denmark. She will continue to keep a watchful eye on the ERAS Society’s work and will remain a useful resource for anyone that needs her advice and support in the future.

Dorthe has worked closely with Prof Henrik Kehlet for over the last 2 decades and if Henrik is described as the Godfather or the King of ERAS, then Dorthe is the Queen!! Prof Fearon often referred to Dorthe as “The ERAS Queen!” Her early contribution to the role of the nurse in “Fast-Trak” was instrumental to the development of our current roles as ERAS Nurses.

She has presented at numerous national and international conferences and has published several papers within “Fast-Trak” and ERAS care pathways and the role of the nurse within these pathways. She has always been an advocate for multi-disciplinary team working and for the nurse to be recognised as a clinical practitioner whose role was just as important as any other member of the team. The cornerstone of any successful ERAS pathway is the team and Dorthe always strived to promote that.

When asked, Dorthe feels very mixed emotions; sad to be stepping down as chair of this group but excited that ERAS programmes are being implemented on such an international scale. She is very proud of the accomplishments the ERAS Nurses have achieved over the last 20 years and she has enjoyed meeting and advising many nurses and teams about “fast-trak” and ERAS programmes since its original inception in the mid-1990’s.

She would like to see the Nursing group and the ERAS website used more as helpful resources for nurses:

“The website should be used as a place for inspiration – examples of nursing care plans/ diaries and of course, the patient perspective. I love that the Patient Voice videos are on there! We should get some more stories from patients and their families. After all – we all want the same thing – better outcomes for our patients!”

angieIn the interim, it is with an even heavier heart (just kidding) that I have agreed to be interim chair of the ERAS Nursing Group. “My name is Angie Balfour and I have been an ERAS nurse for just a little while (since 1994) so I guess it’s only fair that the 2nd oldest ERAS nurse takes over this role!!”

I have been the ERAS nurse in Edinburgh for several years working under the very watchful and supportive guidance of Prof Ken Fearon who sadly passed away at the beginning of September. The role of ERAS Nurse was very important to him and the fact that there are now lots of ERAS Nurses around the globe had made him and the other founding members of the ERAS Society very proud.

With that in mind – it is my job to make sure we use this nursing group – to ask questions – to share experiences and lessons learned – to meet at congresses for G & T.

My contact details are:

angie.balfour@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk

07896 293201

Thank you very much Dorthe for all you hard work over the years – it has been a tremendous honour and privilege to work with you.

Angie Balfour.