Introduction: Correct surgical technique and perioperative care are two factors that can reduce the number of complications, improve treatment outcomes and shorten the length of hospital stay. The introduction of enhanced recovery protocols has changed the approach to patient care in some centers. However, there are significant differences among centers, and in some the standard of care has remained unchanged.
Aim: the goal of the panel was to develop recommendations for modern perioperative care in accordance with current medical knowledge in order to reduce the number of complications associated with surgical treatment. An additional goal was to optimize and standardize perioperative care among Polish centers.
Materials and methods: the development of these recommendations was based on a review of the available literature from the PubMed, Medline and Cochrane Library databases from January 1, 1985 to March 31, 2022, with particular emphasis on systematic reviews and clinical recommendations of recognized scientific societies. Recommendations were formulated in a directive form and were assessed using the Delphi method.
Results and conclusions: 34 recommendations for perioperative care were presented. They cover aspects of pre-, intra- and post-operative care. Implementation of the presented rules allows to improve the results of surgical treatment.
Keywords: ERAS; perioperative care; postoperative complications.