The use of an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) approach for microvascular breast reconstruction is less expensive and more effective than standard care, despite the increased medication and personnel costs associated with an ERAS approach, according to an article published in the May issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

“In plastic surgery, ERAS protocols have been found to be clinically effective, helping to control pain better and more effectively than standard-of-care, but there has been little rigorous analysis on whether or not these benefits outweigh the costs associated with the ERAS infrastructure,” said lead study author Alexander F. Mericli, MD, FACS, an assistant professor of plastic surgery at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston.