Identification of the haemoglobin level associated with a lower risk of complications after total hip and knee arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Preoperative anaemia is associated with poor outcomes in surgical patients, but the preoperative haemoglobin cut-off that determines lower morbidity in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and total hip arthroplasty (THA) is not well established. METHODS: Planned secondary analysis of data collected during a multicentre cohort study of patients undergoing THA and TKA in 131 Spanish hospitals during a single 2-month recruitment period. Anaemia was defined as haemoglobin <12 g dl-1 for females and < 13 g dl-1 for males. The primary outcome was the number of patients with 30-day in-hospital postoperative complications according to European Perioperative Clinical Outcome definitions and specific surgical TKA and THA complications. Secondary outcomes included the number of patients with 30-day moderate-to-severe complications, red blood cell transfusion, mortality, and length of hospital stay. Binary logistic regression models were constructed to assess association between preoperative Hb concentrations and postoperative complications, and variables significantly associated with the outcome were included in the multivariate model. The study sample was divided into 11 groups based on preoperative Hb values in an effort to identify the threshold at which increased postoperative complications occurred. RESULTS: A total of 6099 patients were included in the analysis (3818 THA and 2281 TKA), of whom 8.8% were anaemic. Patients with preoperative anaemia were more likely to suffer overall complications (111/539, 20.6% vs. 563/5560, 10.1%, p < .001) and moderate-to-severe complications (67/539, 12.4% vs. 284/5560, 5.1%, p < .001). Multivariable analysis showed preoperative haemoglobin ≥14 g dl-1 was associated with fewer postoperative complications. CONCLUSION: Preoperative haemoglobin ≥14 g dl-1 is associated with a lower risk of postoperative complications in patients undergoing primary TKA and THA.

Association between enrollment in an enhanced recovery program for colorectal cancer surgery and long-term recurrence and survival.

INTRODUCTION: Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) programs have been shown to minimize the surgical inflammatory response in colorectal cancer. Our objective was to determine the association between an ERAS program for colorectal cancer surgery and oncologic recurrence and survival. METHODS: A before-after intervention study was designed, including patients who underwent colorectal cancer surgery between November 2010 and March 2016. Cox hazard regression analysis was performed per cumulative year of follow-up to evaluate the association between ERAS program exposure and overall survival. Subgroup analysis was performed by cancer stage (low [I/II] vs. advanced [III/IV]). RESULTS: In total, 646 patients were included, of which 339 were pre-ERAS and 307 were ERAS. Our overall median compliance rate with ERAS interventions was 90% (interquartile range: 85%-95%). Overall survival rates were higher in the ERAS group within the first 2 years after surgery (89.2% vs.  83.2%; p = 0.04). Multivariable analysis revealed that the ERAS enrollment was associated with a significantly lower risk in 5-year oncologic recurrence (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]: 0.55; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.33-0.94; p = 0.03) and higher 3-year survival (aHR: 0.55; 95% CI: 0.33-0.93; p = 0.03) among patients with advanced cancer stage compared to pre-ERAS counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with advanced colorectal cancer were less likely to suffer oncologic recurrence when managed during the ERAS period.

Early Return to Intended Oncologic Therapy after implementation of an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery pathway for gastric cancer surgery.

PURPOSE: Time to initiation and completion of adjuvant therapy are critical to improve postoperative oncologic outcomes. This study aims to determine whether an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) pathway for gastric cancer surgery promotes early Return to Intended Oncologic Therapy (RIOT). METHODS: This is a before-after intervention study including patients with gastric adenocarcinoma who underwent surgery from January 2016 to January 2021. Two periods were denoted based upon the implementation date of our institutional ERAS pathway (June 2018). Our primary outcome was time to RIOT after surgery. Hodges-Lehmann analysis was used to estimate median differences of non-parametric outcomes. RESULTS: Seventy patients with gastric adenocarcinoma were included (35 in pre-ERAS period and 35 in post-ERAS period). Fourteen of the pre-ERAS and twenty-two patients of the post-ERAS period received adjuvant therapy. Time to RIOT was reduced in the post-ERAS period (median 39 days, IQR 31-49) by 12 days (95% CI 3-14 days, p = 0.01) compared to the pre-ERAS period (median 51 days, IQR 42-62). Length of hospital stay (LOS) was lower in the ERAS group (6 days, IQR 5-11 vs 10 days, IQR 8-13, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Our institutional ERAS pathway for gastric cancer surgery was associated with earlier RIOT and shorter LOS.

Hypotension prediction index guided goal-directed therapy to reduce postoperative acute kidney injury during major abdominal surgery: study protocol for a multicenter randomized controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a significant postoperative complication associated with increased mortality and hospital costs. Hemodynamic strategies, such as goal-directed therapy, might reduce AKI risk. Predicting and proactively managing intraoperative hypotension may be helpful. This trial aims to investigate if a preemptive hemodynamic strategy guided by the hypotension prediction index (HPI) can decrease the incidence of moderate-to-severe AKI within 30 days following major elective abdominal surgery. METHODS: This is an open-label, controlled, multicenter, randomized clinical trial that involves daily patient follow-up until hospital discharge. Inclusion criteria are patients aged over 65 and/or categorized as ASA III or IV physical status, undergoing major elective abdominal surgery (general, urological, or gynecological procedures) via laparoscopic or open approach under general or combined anesthesia. INTERVENTION: In the intervention group, hemodynamic management will be based on the HPI and the advanced functional hemodynamic variables provided by the Hemosphere platform and the AcumenIQ® sensor (Edwards Lifesciences). The primary outcome is the incidence of moderate-to-severe AKI within 7 days post-surgery. Secondary outcomes include postoperative complications and 30-day mortality. DISCUSSION: This study explores the potential of HPI-guided hemodynamic management in reducing AKI after major elective abdominal surgery, with implications for postoperative outcomes and patient care. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05569265. Registered on October 6, 2022.

Executive Summary of the Spanish Society of Anesthesiology, Reanimation and Pain Therapy (SEDAR) Spanish Society of Emergency and Emergency Medicine (SEMES) and Spanish Society of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery (SEORL-CCC) Guideline for difficult airway management.

The Airway section of the Spanish Society of Anesthesiology, Reanimation and Pain Therapy (SEDAR), Spanish Society of Emergency and Emergency Medicine (SEMES) and Spanish Society of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery (SEORL-CCC) present the Guidelines for the integral management of difficult airway in adult patients. This document provides recommendations based on current scientific evidence, theoretical-educational tools and implementation tools, mainly cognitive aids, applicable to the treatment of the airway in the field of anesthesiology, critical care, emergencies and prehospital medicine. Its principles are focused on the human factors, cognitive processes for decision-making in critical situations and optimization in the progression of the application of strategies to preserve adequate alveolar oxygenation in order to improve safety and quality of care.

Postoperative Critical Care Admission Was Not Associated with Improved Postoperative Outcomes in Elective Colorectal Surgery: Secondary Analysis Of POWER Trial.

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of routine admission of high-risk patients to a critical care unit after surgery is not clear. The aim of our study was to investigate the association between critical care admission after scheduled colorectal surgery and postoperative complications, 30-day mortality, and length of stay in hospital. METHODS: A pre-defined secondary substudy of POWER study was performed. POWER study was a prospective multicenter observational study of patients undergoing elective primary colorectal surgery during a single period of two months of recruitment between September and December 2017. RESULTS: A total of 2084 patients from 80 Spanish hospitals were included, of which 722 (34.6%) were admitted to critical care unit (CCU) after elective surgery. After adjusting for confounding factors in the multivariate analysis, postoperative CCU admission was independently associated with a higher incidence of moderate-to-severe postoperative complications (adjusted OR 1.951, 95% CI 1.570, 2.425; p < 0.001). Regarding secondary outcomes, postoperative critical care admission was independently associated with higher 30-day mortality (adjusted OR 6.736; 95% CI 2.507, 18.101; p < 0.001) and independently associated with an increased hospital length of stay (adjusted OR 1.143, 95% CI 1.112, 1.175; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Direct admission to CCU after scheduled colorectal surgery was not associated with a reduction in moderate-to-severe postoperative complications.

Association between use of enhanced recovery after surgery protocols and postoperative complications after gastric surgery for cancer (POWER 4): a nationwide, prospective multicentre study.

INTRODUCTION: The effectiveness of the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols in gastric cancer surgery remains controversial. METHODS: Multicentre prospective cohort study of adult patients undergoing surgery for gastric cancer. Adherence with 22 individual components of ERAS pathways were assessed in all patients, regardless of whether they were treated in a self-designed ERAS centre. Each centre had a three-month recruitment period between October 2019 and September 2020. The primary outcome was moderate-to-severe postoperative complications within 30 days after surgery. Secondary outcomes were overall postoperative complications, adherence to the ERAS pathway, 30 day-mortality and hospital length of stay (LOS). RESULTS: A total of 743 patients in 72 Spanish hospitals were included, 211 of them (28.4 %) from self-declared ERAS centres. A total of 245 patients (33 %) experienced postoperative complications, graded as moderate-to-severe complications in 172 patients (23.1 %). There were no differences in the incidence of moderate-to-severe complications (22.3% vs. 23.5%; OR, 0.92 (95% CI, 0.59 to 1.41); P = 0.068), or overall postoperative complications between the self-declared ERAS and non-ERAS groups (33.6% vs. 32.7%; OR, 1.05 (95 % CI, 0.70 to 1.56); P = 0.825). The overall rate of adherence to the ERAS pathway was 52% [IQR 45 to 60]. There were no differences in postoperative outcomes between higher (Q1, > 60 %) and lower (Q4, ≤ 45 %) ERAS adherence quartiles. CONCLUSIONS: Neither the partial application of perioperative ERAS measures nor treatment in self-designated ERAS centres improved postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing gastric surgery for cancer. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT03865810.

Association between use of enhanced recovery after surgery protocols and postoperative complications in colorectal surgery in Europe: The EuroPOWER international observational study.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Assess the relationship between the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS®) pathway and routine care and 30-day postoperative outcomes. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: European centers (185 hospitals) across 21 countries. PATIENTS: A total of 2841 adult patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery. Each hospital had a 1-month recruitment period between October 2019 and September 2020. INTERVENTIONS: Routine perioperative care. MEASUREMENTS: Twenty-four components of the ERAS pathway were assessed in all patients regardless of whether they were treated in a formal ERAS pathway. A multivariable and multilevel logistic regression model was used to adjust for baseline risk factors, ERAS elements and country-based differences. RESULTS: A total of 1835 patients (65%) received perioperative care at a self-declared ERAS center, 474 (16.7%) developed moderate-to-severe postoperative complications, and 63 patients died (2.2%). There was no difference in the primary outcome between patients who were or were not treated in self-declared ERAS centers (17.1% vs. 16%; OR 1.00; 95%CI, 0.79-1.27; P = 0.986). Hospital stay was shorter among patients treated in self-declared ERAS centers (6 [5-9] vs. 8 [6-10] days; OR 0.82; 95%CI, 0.78-0.87; P < 0.001). Median adherence to 24 ERAS elements was 57% [48%-65%]. Adherence to ERAS-pathway quartiles (≥65% vs. <48%) suggested that patients with the highest adherence rates experienced a lower risk of moderate-to-severe complications (15.9% vs. 17.8%; OR 0.71; 95%CI, 0.53-0.96; P = 0.027), lower risk of death (0.3% vs. 2.9%; OR 0.10; 95%CI, 0.02-0.42; P = 0.002) and shorter hospital stay (6 [4-8] vs. 7 [5-10] days; OR 0.74; 95%CI, 0.69-0.79; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Treatment in a self-declared ERAS center does not improve outcome after colorectal surgery. Increased adherence to the ERAS pathway is associated with a significant reduction in overall postoperative complications, lower risk of moderate-to-severe complications, shorter length of hospital stay and lower 30-day mortality.

Higher Adherence to ERAS Society® Recommendations is Associated with Shorter Hospital Stay Without an Increase in Postoperative Complications or Readmissions in Bariatric Surgery: the Association Between Use of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Protocols and Postoperative Complications after Bariatric Surgery (POWER 3) Multicenter Observational Study.

PURPOSE: The effectiveness of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) pathways in patients undergoing bariatric surgery remains unclear. Our objective was to determine the effect of the ERAS elements on patient outcomes following elective bariatric surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prospective cohort study in adult patients undergoing elective bariatric surgery. Each participating center selected a single 3-month data collection period between October 2019 and September 2020. We assessed the 24 individual components of the ERAS pathways in all patients. We used a multivariable and multilevel logistic regression model to adjust for baseline risk factors, ERAS elements, and center differences RESULTS: We included 1419 patients. One hundred and fourteen patients (8%) developed postoperative complications. There were no differences in the incidence of overall postoperative complications between the self-designated ERAS and non-ERAS groups (54 (8.7%) vs. 60 (7.6%); OR, 1.14; 95% CI, 0.73-1.79; P = .56), neither for moderate-to-severe complications, readmissions, re-interventions, mortality, or hospital stay (2 [IQR 2-3] vs. 3 [IQR 2-4] days, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.62-1.17; P = .33) Adherence to the ERAS elements in the highest adherence quartile (Q1) was greater than 72.2%, while in the lowest adherence quartile (Q4) it was less than 55%. Patients with the highest adherence rates had shorter hospital stay (2 [IQR 2-3] vs. 3 [IQR 2-4] days, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.09-2.17; P = .015), while there were no differences in the other outcomes CONCLUSIONS: Higher adherence to ERAS Society® recommendations was associated with a shorter hospital stay without an increase in postoperative complications or readmissions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03864861.

Neuromuscular blockade management and postoperative outcomes in enhanced recovery colorectal surgery: secondary analysis of POWER trial.

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the impact of neuromuscular blockade (NMB) management, monitoring and reversal on postoperative outcomes in colorectal surgical patients included in an enhanced recovery program. METHODS: We performed a predefined analysis in 2084 patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery who participated in POWER study. We analyzed them for complications, length of hospital stay and mortality. Two groups were defined: 1) monitoring + reversal of the neuromuscular blockade (M+R) group: all patients receiving neuromuscular blockade monitoring plus reversal of it with any drug (neostigmine or sugammadex) were included; and 2) no monitoring nor reversal (noM+noR) group. In this group all the patients who did not receive monitoring and reversal of the neuromuscular blockade were allocated. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis found no statistically significant differences in moderate-severe complications (174 [25.7%] vs. 124 [27.1%]; P=0.607), length of hospital stay (10.8±11.1 vs. 11.0 ±12.6 days; P=0.683) and mortality (6 [0.9%] vs. 5 [1.1%]; P=0.840) between the group receiving optimal neuromuscular management (M+R) and the one did not receive it (noM+noR). Univariate analysis showed patients reversed with neostigmine died more than those reversed with sugammadex (3 [2.7%] vs. 3 [0.5%]; P=0.048). CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest optimal neuromuscular blockade management in colorectal surgery is not associated with less moderate-severe complications, length of hospital stay or death during postoperative period in an enhanced recovery program. Neostigmine reversal seems to be linked to higher rate of mortality than sugammadex.

Surgical treatment for colorectal cancer: analysis of the influence of an enhanced recovery programme on long-term oncological outcomes-a study protocol for a prospective, multicentre, observational cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: The evidence currently available from enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programmes concerns their benefits in the immediate postoperative period, but there is still very little evidence as to whether their correct implementation benefits patients in the long term. The working hypothesis here is that, due to the lower response to surgical aggression and lower rates of postoperative complications, ERAS protocols can reduce colorectal cancer-related mortality. The main objective of this study is to analyse the impact of an ERAS programme for colorectal cancer on 5-year survival. As secondary objectives, we propose to analyse the weight of each of the predefined items in the oncological results as well as the quality of life. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A multicentre prospective cohort study was conducted in patients older than 18 years of age who are scheduled to undergo surgery for colorectal cancer. The study involved 12 hospitals with an implemented enhanced recovery protocol according to the guidelines published by the Spanish National Health Service. The intervention group includes patients with a minimum implementation level of 70%, and the control group includes those who fail to reach this level. Compliance will be studied using 18 key performance indicators, and the results will be analysed using cancer survival indicators, including overall survival, cancer-specific survival and relapse-free survival. The time to recurrence, perioperative morbidity and mortality, hospital stay and quality of life will also be studied, the latter using the validated EuroQol Five questionnaire. The propensity index method will be used to create comparable treatment and control groups, and a multivariate regression will be used to study each variable. The Kaplan-Meier estimator will be used to estimate survival and the log-rank test to make comparisons. A p value of less than 0.05 (two-tailed) will be considered to be significant. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the Aragon Ethical Committee (C.P.-C.I. PI20/086) on 4 March 2020. The findings of this study will be submitted to peer-reviewed journals (BMJ Open, JAMA Surgery, Annals of Surgery, British Journal of Surgery). Abstracts will be submitted to relevant national and international meetings. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04305314.

Association Between Use of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Protocol and Postoperative Complications in Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty in the Postoperative Outcomes Within Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Protocol in Elective Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty Study (POWER2).

Importance: The Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) care protocol has been shown to improve outcomes compared with traditional care in certain types of surgery. Objective: To assess the association of use of the ERAS protocols with complications in patients undergoing elective total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Design, Setting, and Participants: This multicenter, prospective cohort study included patients recruited from 131 centers in Spain from October 22 through December 22, 2018. All consecutive adults scheduled for elective THA or TKA were eligible for inclusion. Patients were stratified between those treated in a self-designated ERAS center (ERAS group) and those treated in a non-ERAS center (non-ERAS group). Data were analyzed from June 15 through September 15, 2019. Exposures: Total hip or knee arthroplasty and perioperative management. Sixteen individual ERAS items were assessed in all included patients, whether they were treated at a center that was part of an established ERAS protocol or not. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was postoperative complications within 30 days after surgery. Secondary outcomes included length of stay and mortality. Results: During the 2-month recruitment period, 6146 patients were included (3580 women [58.2%]; median age, 71 [interquartile range (IQR), 63-76] years). Of these, 680 patients (11.1%) presented with postoperative complications. No differences were found in the number of patients with overall postoperative complications between ERAS and non-ERAS groups (163 [10.2%] vs 517 [11.4%]; odds ratio [OR], 0.89; 95% CI, 0.74-1.07; P = .22). Fewer patients in the ERAS group had moderate to severe complications (73 [4.6%] vs 279 [6.1%]; OR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.56-0.96; P = .02). The median overall adherence rate with the ERAS protocol was 50.0% (IQR, 43.8%-62.5%), with the rate for ERAS facilities being 68.8% (IQR, 56.2%-81.2%) vs 50.0% (IQR, 37.5%-56.2%) at non-ERAS centers (P < .001). Among the patients with the highest and lowest quartiles of adherence to ERAS components, the patients with the highest adherence had fewer overall postoperative complications (144 [10.6%] vs 270 [13.0%]; OR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.64-0.99; P < .001) and moderate to severe postoperative complications (59 [4.4%] vs 143 [6.9%]; OR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.45-0.84; P < .001) and shorter median length of hospital stay (4 [IQR, 3-5] vs 5 [IQR, 4-6] days; OR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.96-0.99; P < .001). Conclusions and Relevance: An increase in adherence to the ERAS program was associated with a decrease in postoperative complications, although only a few ERAS items were individually associated with improved outcomes.

Effect of ultrasound image enhancement software on the quality of vision of regional anesthesia needles.

BACKGROUND: Our objective was to evaluate and compare the visualization of different types of needles with or without ultrasound image enhancement software, both in biological tissues and artificial models. METHODS: This is an observational study on fresh porcine tissue and gelatin models. Six types of plexus needles were studied. The same anesthesiologist performed in-plane punctures with each needle at 30°, 40° and 50° in both 2D mode and using software-based enhanced mode without changing position, generating 72 images. The images were evaluated blind by 38 anesthesiologists with at least two years of experience in ultrasound and rated from 0 to 10. A univariate and multivariate analysis was performed to identify differences between the images according to needle, mode, angle and experimental model. We described the results as mean (standard deviation). RESULTS: The Echoplex needle, 8.31 (1.94), was significantly better than the Sonoplex needle, 7.53 (2.16), P=0.0003, and both were significantly better than the other needles (P<0.0001). Significant differences were also found in favor of the gelatin model, 7.26 (2.48) vs. 6.24 (3.67), P<0.0001, and with ultrasound image enhancement software, 8.59 (1.55) vs. 4.91 (3.31), P<0.0001. These differences were confirmed by multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Although there are differences between the different types of needles used with ultrasound visualization strategies, ultrasound image enhancement software provides good visualization, regardless of the model chosen.

Association Between Use of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Protocol and Postoperative Complications in Colorectal Surgery: The Postoperative Outcomes Within Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Protocol (POWER) Study.

Importance: Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) care has been reported to be associated with improvements in outcomes after colorectal surgery compared with traditional care. Objective: To determine the association between ERAS protocols and outcomes in patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery. Design, Setting, and Participants: The Postoperative Outcomes Within Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Protocol (POWER) Study is a multicenter, prospective cohort study of 2084 consecutive adults scheduled for elective colorectal surgery who received or did not receive care in a self-declared ERAS center. Patients were recruited from 80 Spanish centers between September 15 and December 15, 2017. All patients included in this analysis had 1 month of follow-up. Exposures: Colorectal surgery and perioperative management were the exposures. Twenty-two individual ERAS items were assessed in all patients, regardless of whether they were included in an established ERAS protocol. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary study outcome was moderate to severe postoperative complications within 30 days after surgery. Secondary outcomes included ERAS adherence, mortality, readmissions, reoperation rates, and hospital length of stay. Results: Between September 15 and December 15, 2017, 2084 patients were included in the study. Of these, 1286 individuals (61.7%) were men; mean age was 68 years (interquartile range [IQR], 59-77). A total of 879 patients (42.2%) presented with postoperative complications and 566 patients (27.2%) developed moderate to severe complications. The number of patients with moderate or severe complications was lower in the ERAS group (25.2% vs 30.3%; odds ratio [OR], 0.77; 95% CI, 0.63-0.94; P = .01). The overall rate of adherence to the ERAS protocol was 63.6% (IQR, 54.5%-77.3%), and the rate for patients from hospitals self-declared as ERAS was 72.7% (IQR, 59.1%-81.8%) vs non-ERAS institutions, which was 59.1% (IQR, 50.0%-63.6%; P < .001). Adherence quartiles among patients receiving the highest and lowest ERAS components showed that the patients with the highest adherence rates had fewer moderate to severe complications (OR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.25-0.46; P < .001), overall complications (OR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.26-0.43; P < .001), and mortality (OR, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.07-0.97; P = .06) compared with those who had the lowest adherence rates. Conclusions and Relevance: An increase in ERAS adherence appears to be associated with a decrease in postoperative complications.

Postoperative Outcomes Within Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Protocol in Elective Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty. POWER.2 Study: Study Protocol for a Prospective, Multicentre, Observational Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: The number of indications for total hip replacement (THR) and total knee replacement (TKR) surgery is increasing. Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) represents the next step in the evolution of standardised care. The primary aim of this study is to measure the in-hospital 30-day medical and surgical postoperative complications rate. The study's secondary aims are to determine the length of stay, 30-day mortality rate, 30-day reoperation and readmission rates, the ERAS overall compliance and predefined ERAS individual items compliance. METHODS: This multicentre, prospective, observational study will include adult patients (aged >18 years) undergoing elective THR and TKR surgery. Consecutive patients undergoing surgery within the 2-month data collection period will be included. Centres that offer the THR and/or TKR surgery will be eligible to participate. The data collection will be done through an online data collection form via a secure, password-protected platform at each centre with predefined data fields. RESULTS: Ethical approval for this study has been obtained from the Comité de Ética de la Investigación de la Comunidad Autónoma de Aragón (C.P.-C.I. PI18/135; on 23 May 2018). It was prospectively registered on 27 June 2018, at www.clinicaltrials.gov with identification no. NCT03570944. CONCLUSION: The study will be disseminated through the SPARN-RedGERM, SEDAR, GERM and through social media. Peer-reviewed publications will be published under corporate authorship, including POWER.2 Study Group and SPARN-RedGERM.