Dr. Diego Marines, colorectal surgeon with Houston Methodist Willowbrook.
Houston Methodist Willowbrook patients could move from the operating table to their own bed in less than two days thanks to advanced recovery plans used by the hospital.
Over the past several years, Houston Methodist Willowbrook has decreased patient recovery times for some procedures from five to seven days, to two days using specialized recovery plans for patients.
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The enhanced recovery protocol at Houston Methodist Willowbrook helps improve the process for patients through pre-treatment, during surgery and after surgery.
Diego Marines, colorectal surgeon with Houston Methodist Willowbrook, said the process is individualized for patients, combining proven recovery methods to get patients back home more quickly.
“It is a series of things that each, individually, have been proven in multiple studies to improve recovery for patients,” Marines said. “Some studies have shown that chewing gum decreases the time from the surgery to the return of bowel function. Some studies have shown that walking immediately after surgery instead of resting. All of those things put together form our enhanced recovery protocol.”
The program originally began with patients undergoing colorectal surgery before expanding to all surgical specialties at Houston Methodist Willowbrook.
Surgeons consult with anesthesiologists to provide possible nerve blockers to reduce the need for drugs during the surgery, therefore reducing side effects, as well as physical therapists and nutritionists who can aid with pre-surgery and post-surgery care.
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“We have a formal enhanced recovery protocol with a committee that meets every other month to make sure everything is compliant and the patients are followed up on,” Marines said. “Everyone is a candidate for our enhanced recovery protocol regardless of age, regardless of diagnosis. Depending on their medical condition, medications and other factors determine the protocol we are going to implement for them.”
Enhanced recovery protocol methods may include reducing medication intake, increasing mobility post-surgery, and ensuring patient safety through consistent care from surgeons involved in their recovery plan. Pre-care measures may involve anything from the painkillers used during surgery to enhanced physical therapy.
Marines said the process helped Houston Methodist Willowbrook free up beds during the COVID-19 pandemic, and continues to benefit the hospital and future patients.
“Now we just recently started sending patients home the same day after a major abdominal operations,” Marines said. “Out of all of the Methodist hospitals in the system, we're the ones with the more advanced and established enhanced recovery program.
“First of all the patient has more satisfaction because they're home feeling normal and wearing their own pajamas much sooner. The hospital of course, especially during a pandemic we were able to free up beds when we were pretty limited in the amount of beds we had.”
Marines said patients scheduled for surgery should consult their surgeon and physician about enhanced recovery options since the process varies by surgery.
For more information visit www.houstonmethodist.org.
Chevall Pryce is a reporter for the northwest editions of the Houston Chronicle's community newspapers. Pryce covers regional news including education, business, local government, transportation and nonprofit organizations. He was previously a reporter for Community Impact Newspaper and graduated from Texas A&M University in 2017 with a degree in Journalism. He has been with the Houston Chronicle since September 2018 and is originally from Dallas, Texas.
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