Perioperative care means reviewing the surgical perioperative pathway, our patient flows and how we prepare our patients for surgery, and how and who decides they are optimised for surgery. It means changing the postoperative course with increased emphasis on enhanced recovery after surgery and re-designing our discharge processes so it is planned and arranged in advance of the surgical event.
And, it means designing care pathways that embed important patient discussions – true shared decision-making where the focus changes from a technically possible surgical procedure, to the delivery of perioperative care designed and wrapped around the patient.
The final decision is therefore one where the patient is at the centre of decision making, and that they, along with the various stakeholders, agree to the appropriate course of action for their condition.
This will ensure patients understand the risks and outcomes and allows clinicians from various specialties to empower patients to get in the best possible physical shape before surgery.
These ‘teachable moments’ provide us an opportunity to ensure that we can really start to address the prevention agenda around smoking, diabetes, obesity and exercise.
