The Role of the Anesthesiologist in Reducing Surgical Stress and Improving Recovery

Abstract

Although there have been major advances in surgical technology and anesthesia techniques, the relatively high rate of postoperative complications continues to have an impact on health care. Thanks to closer collaboration between different medical disciplines, a great deal of attention has been focused on how to improve the quality of surgical care, reduce perioperative morbidity, accelerate the recovery process, and better utilize health resources. With this in mind, great effort has been pursued in the development and implementation of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery programs with the intention to understand and identify the factors that keep patients in hospital longer than necessary and delay their return to baseline. The chapter elucidates the physiological mechanisms characteristic of the response to surgical stress and proposes a role of the anesthesiologist as a perioperative physician in addressing the strategies which can modify this response and facilitate recovery.