ERAS Cardiac

Dedicated to perfecting the surgical journey through the enhancement of patient well-being & recovery ERAS® stands for Enhanced Recovery after Surgery.

We're dedicated to perfecting the surgical journey through research, education, audit, and implementation of evidence-based practices. Our team is passionate about advancing patient well-being to help achieve the best possible outcomes. Join us as we share valuable insights, expert opinions, and the latest advancements in cardiac surgery and perioperative care. Stay connected to stay informed and empowered on your own surgical journey!

09/03/2026

ERAS Cardiac Society advisory board member Omar Mejia, MD, PhD, recently presented at the São Paulo Cardiac Summit at CESIN-InCor on how quality improvement research is transforming cardiac surgery.

His talk covered prehabilitation, enhanced recovery after surgery, and minimally invasive cardiac surgery, framed around what has changed in the field since the earliest days of cardiac surgery.

The summit was an academic event promoted for the first time by two of the largest cardiovascular surgery centers in Brazil, with the aim of disseminating the most transformative advances in cardiovascular surgery.

Alongside Professor Fabio Jatene of InCor and Mario Issa of Dante Pazzanese, the program included Professor Torsten Doenst, Hristo Kirov, and Tulio Caldonazo of the University of Jena in Germany, Maurilio O. Deininger of UNIMED, João Pedro Passos Dutra, Sergio Lima de Almeida of SOS Cardio Florianópolis, and Dr.Paulo Cesar Santos of Uberlândia Medical Center.

Quality improvement research is a large part of why cardiac surgery looks so different today. We are grateful to all who carry that work forward around the world.

09/01/2026

September is Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month. Postoperative atrial fibrillation remains one of the most common complications after cardiac surgery, and guidance on preventing and treating it now spans four major societies. Consolidating that into one set of orders closes the gap.

The ERAS Cardiac Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation Turnkey Order Set translates existing guideline and consensus recommendations into a sample order set covering screening through anticoagulation.

Developed from ACC/AHA/HRS, ESC/EACTS, SCA/EACTA, and Canadian Cardiovascular Society and Canadian Heart Rhythm Society recommendations.

The ERAS Cardiac Virtual Education Center has free resources for patients and families on what to expect before, during, and after surgery. Create a free account to explore: https://tr.ee/32YVTLHjQ3

08/27/2026

About 40% of patients treated for endocarditis related to IV drug use will have a second episode. If injection use resumes in that first year, the risk of death or new infection is 10 times higher.

Monday’s ERAS Cardiac Monthly Multidisciplinary Meeting featured Gail Markowski, DNP, ANP-BC, ACNPC-AG, CCRN, FAHA, on infective endocarditis, a disease where clearing the infection is often only the first problem.

From the session:

- Vegetation size drives surgical timing. Greater than 10 mm significantly raises embolic risk, and greater than 15 mm warrants surgery even without symptoms
- Staph aureus vegetations can grow beyond 10 mm in days and are friable, making them far more likely to shed
- Cerebral involvement exceeds 60% when silent ischemia is counted, and anticoagulation solely for stroke prevention is not recommended
- Treating the underlying addiction during the admission significantly reduces patients leaving against medical advice

“We’re not trained to really reach these patients and give them what they need.” Gail Markowski

Recording now available: https://tr.ee/ex_teVWNtg

08/24/2026

Module 6 of the ERAS Cardiac micro-learning series is now live on Ethos: Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation Management.

Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) affects 20 to 50% of cardiac surgery patients and is now framed as a marker of perioperative and patient vulnerability, not an isolated arrhythmia.

Key takeaways:

-Why POAF is associated with stroke, myocardial infarction, acute kidney injury, and longer ICU stays
-Why amiodarone is the only Class I preventive recommendation
-Where left posterior pericardiotomy fits, and how retained blood syndrome contributes to atrial inflammation

Already enrolled in the ERAS Cardiac Ethos program? Log in at app.ethossystems.com and the new module is ready in your dashboard.

New to the series? Learn more about the micro-learning program and how to get access: https://tr.ee/fdSgZHtaR6

Module developed with subject matter expertise from Subhasis Chatterjee, MD, FACS, FACC, FCCP, Director, Thoracic Surgery ICU and ECMO Program, Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center.

08/22/2026

ERAS Cardiac Recommendation: Protective Lung Ventilation

Postoperative pulmonary complications remain a significant contributor to morbidity after cardiac surgery, and ventilation strategy is one of the factors care teams control directly.

Lung-protective ventilation uses low tidal volumes with appropriate positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) and recruitment maneuvers to reduce ventilator-associated lung stress.

In cardiac surgery, these approaches are associated with improved pulmonary mechanics and fewer postoperative pulmonary complications. Recent practice has also emphasized limiting driving pressure in addition to controlling tidal volume. This ERAS Cardiac recommendation is supported by a high level of evidence.

Lung-protective ventilation is a practical step care teams can take to support pulmonary recovery after cardiac surgery.

Read the full recommendation: https://tr.ee/fdSgZHtaR6

08/20/2026

Surgical site infections after cardiac surgery are rare. About half of them are preventable.

Episode 10 of The Cardiac Recovery Room features host Amanda Rea with Cheryl Crisafi on risk factors, preoperative optimization, antibiotic prophylaxis, intraoperative technique, and patient education for surgical site infection prevention.

Listen to the full episode: https://tr.ee/eZFBF1gdSNl

08/19/2026

Infective endocarditis carries serious complications well beyond the acute infection.

Join our ERAS Cardiac Society Monthly Multidisciplinary Meeting with Gail Markowski, Structural Heart Coordinator at Catholic Health System and faculty at the University at Buffalo School of Nursing.

This session will cover the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment options for a disease that carries serious short and long term complications, and significant morbidity and mortality.

Infective Endocarditis
Mon, Aug 24 | 12:00 PM ET | Virtual
Register: https://tr.ee/G9kkt-qXyv
Free CME and CNE credit available.

08/13/2026

Our new ERAS Cardiac Society Newsletter explores advances shaping recovery after cardiac surgery, from individualized coagulation care and patient blood management to heparin-induced thrombocytopenia and preoperative frailty assessment.

Read the latest insights and publications shaping enhanced recovery worldwide: https://tr.ee/lvlCz2rFtK

07/30/2026

Postoperative atrial fibrillation is the most frequent complication after cardiac surgery, tied to greater morbidity, mortality, length of stay, and cost. Yet practice variation persists.

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons 2026 Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of New-Onset Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation After Cardiac Surgery, published in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, offer the most comprehensive recommendations to date focused specifically on POAF after cardiac surgery.

Key elements:
- 15 recommendations spanning preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative care
- Class I for perioperative oral amiodarone and cardioversion for hemodynamically unstable POAF
- Class IIa support for posterior pericardiotomy and perioperative beta-blockers
- A framework to standardize care and flag future research priorities

Proud to see ERAS Cardiac Executive Board Members Subhasis Chatterjee, MD and Michael Grant, MD, MSE and Advisory Board Members Charles Mack, MD and Moritz Wyler von Ballmoos, MD, PhD among the authors.

Full guidelines: https://tr.ee/e-6zBvGzB-

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