The ERAS pathway
Enhanced Recovery After Surgery is a set of evidence-based steps applied before, during and after the operation: carbohydrate loading instead of prolonged fasting, opioid-sparing analgesia, avoidance of routine drains and tubes, early feeding and early walking. It shortens stay without increasing readmission.
- Day 0 — sit out of bed, sips of fluid, breathing exercises
- Day 1 — walk in the corridor, light diet, catheter removed where possible
- Day 2–4 — normal diet, discharge with a written recovery plan
The first six weeks at home
Walking daily is the single most useful thing patients can do. Lifting is limited to about 5 kg for four weeks to protect the extraction-site closure. Driving resumes when an emergency stop can be performed without hesitation, typically two to three weeks. Histopathology is discussed at the first review, usually 7–10 days after discharge.
When to call the team
Fever above 38 °C, increasing abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, redness or discharge from a port site, calf swelling or breathlessness need same-day assessment rather than waiting for the next appointment.
Common questions
- When can I fly after cancer surgery?
- Short domestic flights are usually reasonable after two weeks and long-haul after four to six weeks, once mobility is good and clot risk has been assessed.
- How painful is robotic surgery?
- Port-site pain is usually well controlled with simple analgesia and typically settles within a week. Shoulder-tip discomfort from the gas used during surgery is common for a day or two.
This page is general education, reviewed by Dr. Ishaan Allahabadi, MCh Surgical Oncology (Edge Hill, UK) · MS Surgery · MBBS (Accredited by the Royal College of Surgeons of England). It is not a substitute for individual medical advice. Treatment decisions are made after reviewing your imaging and pathology, in a multidisciplinary tumour board.