Spinal Fusion: Neuromuscular ERAS

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) programs promote an evidence-based, multidisciplinary approach to patient care aimed at facilitating faster recovery from surgery, decreasing hospital length of stay, and minimizing post-operative complications. From scheduling through discharge, all phases of perioperative care are incorporated into ERAS programs.  

Neuromuscular Spinal Fusion ERAS Pathway: 

• NM spinal fusion - assessment/referral algorithm 
• NM spinal fusion - intraoperative algorithm 
• NM spinal fusion - PICU algorithm 
• NM spinal fusion - inpatient algorithm
• Neuromuscular spinal fusion synopsis – provides care standards employed for this clinical pathway 

Additional tools associated with this ERAS Pathway: 

• ERAS overview handout - English 
• ERAS overview handout - Spanish 

 Inclusion and exclusion criteria: 

• Inclusion: 
  • Patients with complex care needs and neuromuscular scoliosis undergoing posterior spinal fusion  
• Exclusion: 
• • Previous index surgery
    • For example, re-operations for previous VEPTR, posterior spinal fusion, growing rod procedure 
  • Pre-existing spinal or hardware infection
  • Trauma/tumor/spondylolisthesis without risk factors 

Committee members involved in the development: 

• Aaron Shaw, DO, FAAOS | Orthopaedic Surgery | Committee Co-Chair 
• Trent Sims, DO, MS | Anesthesiology | Committee Co-Chair
• Michael Benvenuti, MD | Orthopaedic Surgery | Committee Member
• John Anderson, MD | Orthopaedic Surgery | Committee Member 
• Nichole Doyle, MD | Anesthesiology | Committee Member
• Emily Weisberg, MD | Anesthesiology | Committee Member
• Tara Benton, MD, MSCI | Pediatric Critical Care Medicine | Committee Member 
• Cara Holton, MD | Pediatric Critical Care Medicine | Committee Member
• Leah Jones, MD | Hospital Medicine | Committee Member
• Emily Goodwin, MD, FAAP | Beacon Program | Committee Member 
• Samira Naime, MD | Pulmonology | Committee Member
• Aileen Frances Har, MD | Gastroenterology | Committee Member 
• Heather Sambol, RN, APRN | Anesthesiology | Committee Member 
• Anne Stuedemann, MSN, RN, CPNP | Orthopaedic Surgery | Committee Member
• Katie Shedd, MSPAS, PA-C | Orthopaedic Surgery | Committee Member
• Jamie Wilkins, MS, RD, LD, CNSC | Nutrition | Committee Member 

EBP Committee Members: 

• Todd Glenski, MD, MSHA, FASA | Anesthesiology, Evidence Based Practice 
• Andrea Melanson, OTD, OTR/L | Evidence Based Practice 

 Publication dates: 

• Finalized date: 02/2025 
• Next expected revision date: 02/2028 

 Concerns with content: 

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