Effectiveness of an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Protocol in Patients Undergoing On-pump Cardiac Surgery

Primary objective: Estimate the effect of implementation of an ERP (including the use of a checklist and teaching of caretakers) on the time needed for patient extubation after on-pump cardiac surgery.

Secondary objective: Estimate the effect of implementation of a ERP (including the use of a checklist and teaching of caretakers) on the need for reintubation, the need to return to the operating room for hemostasis, on pain scores, opioid consumption and related side effects, on the incidence of postoperative delirium in the intensive care unit, on intensive care unit and hospital discharge times, on postoperative complications (stroke, acute renal failure, postoperative atrial fibrillation), and on in-hospital mortality, 30-day mortality and hospital readmission.

The hypothesis of the study is that implementation of an ERP (including the use of a checklist and teaching of caretakers) in patients undergoing on-pump cardiac surgery improves postoperative recovery through shorter extubation time and a reduction of postoperative complications.

Design of the study: single center, bidirectional (prospective and retrospective) chronological cohort study. The adherence to ERP interventions will be measured.

Prospective data will be collected in eligible patients after implementation of a cardiac ERP and compared retrospectively with eligible patients who had surgery in the year before (but not in the four weeks preceding) implementation of the cardiac ERP. In these patients, prospective data is already collected in a quality of care database in cardiac surgery.

The cardiac ERP will be implemented using a checklist designed by cardiac surgeons, anesthesiologists and intensive care specialists. The checklist is based on official ERAS recommendations and other interventions suggested in further studies on ERAS after cardiac surgery. Professionals involved in the perioperative care of cardiac surgery patients will receive specific ERP teachings three weeks and one week before the official implementation of the cardiac ERP. Posters detailing the cardiac ERP will be clearly visible in the cardiac operating rooms and next to the intensive care unit beds to promote adherence.

Inclusion criteria

• On-pump cardiac surgery

Exclusion criteria

• Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (LVEF) lower than 50%
• Glomerular filtration rate lower than 50 mL/min
• Significant pulmonary hypertension (systolic pulmonary artery pressure higher than 65 mmHg)
• Presence of Intra-aortic balloon pump therapy before surgery
• Endocarditis surgery
• An estimated mortality over 8% based on the EuroSCORE II
• Patients who already had cardiac surgery in the past.