Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS)

ERAS aims to put you at the forefront of your surgical care to help you feel better faster, reduce complications after surgery and have a shorter hospital stay.

Who is part of ERAS 

Confirm with your surgeon if the surgery you are having is under the ERAS program. If so, you, your family or caregivers and everyone in your health-care team are part of the ERAS process.

Your role in ERAS

Before surgery

1. Read the ERAS education booklet before your surgery (at the bottom of this page). Have this booklet for your pre-admission clinic appointment, during your hospital stay and when you visit your family doctor.
2. Follow the clear juice instructions.
3. Bring sugar-free chewing gum to the hospital on the day of surgery. This will help "wake up " your digestive system.

The health-care team will care for you during surgery using the ERAS care guidelines.

After surgery

1. Eat and drink as soon as you and your healthcare team feel safe.
2. Sit in a chair as soon as you and your healthcare team feel safe.
3. Walk to the bathroom and hallway as soon as you and your healthcare team feel safe.

These booklets can help you understand your surgery and give you information to help plan for your recovery. The booklets include detailed information about pain and post-operative nausea management.

Surgery patient guide

Before, during and after hip and knee replacement surgery: a patient's guide

ERAS booklets

• ERAS: Anterior Cervical Spine Surgery
• ERAS: Colon Surgery
  • Also available in Simplified Chinese
• ERAS Endovascular Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair (EVAR) Surgery
• ERAS: Gynecologic Oncology Surgery
• ERAS: Gynecologic Surgery
• ERAS Hip Replacement Surgery Discharge Instruction
  • ​Also available in Traditional Chinese and Punjabi​
• ERAS: Kidney and/or Ureter Surgery
• ERAS: Knee Replacement Surgery Discharge Instruction
  • Also available in Traditional Chinese and Punjabi​
• ERAS: Liver Surgery
• ERAS: Lymph Node Removal for Testicular Cancer
• ERAS: Metoidioplasty
• ERAS: Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Surgery
• ERAS: Pancreas Surgery
• ERAS: Phalloplasty
• ERAS: Radical Cystectomy
• ERAS: Robotically-Assisted Minimally Invasive Direct Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery
• ERAS: Robotic Mouth and/or Neck Surgery
• ERAS: Spine Surgery (Thoraco-Lumbar Fusion and/or Revision)
• ERAS: Stomach Surgery (Gastrectomy)
• ERAS: Vaginoplasty
• ERAS Vulvoplasty

For all other Patient Health Education Materials available from VCH, visit: Patient Health Education Materials (PHEM) online resource catalogue.

Please email eras@vch.ca for questions or feedback.

If you would like to complete a 5-minute survey about the ERAS program at Vancouver Coastal Health, access the survey here. Your feedback will help improve future care for patients.

Fill the ERAS patient experience survey