- Lung cancer patients enter a comprehensive recovery program for lung cancer surgeries that spans from the pre-surgical phase to discharge
- This protocol allows you to reduce the average stay by half, reduce pain and improve post-surgical mobility.
Thoracic surgery has experienced significant advances in recent years related to prevention, surgery, and management of complications related to the procedure. All of this has allowed us to improve the clinical results of patients undergoing this type of intervention.
The thoracic surgery service of the Vinalopó University Hospital, from the health group Ribera, has a Fast Track protocol that has improved the safety of surgical processes. “Patients undergoing lung cancer surgery require major surgery with post-surgical admission to intensive care and an average stay of about five days,” explains Dr. Córcoles, head of the service.
Thanks to the implementation of the Fast Track protocol, or early recovery protocol, it allows postoperative complications to be reduced by 20% and the average stay is reduced by half. This is thanks to a comprehensive program that ranges from the pre-surgical phase to hospital discharge aimed at improving recovery after surgical intervention.
“The procedure combines patient education before the intervention, minimally invasive surgery, and postoperative care (probes, drains, etc.), in order to avoid complications, avoid admission to the ICU, and enhance the patient's prompt recovery. and, reduce the hospital stay,” explains the head of service.
This protocol begins three weeks before the surgical intervention when, in consultation, the patient is offered information about sleep hygiene, nutrition, and a respiratory physiotherapy program. In addition, they are helped to quit tobacco, if required. “All this prior work allows us to early discharge patients who, after surgery, begin mobilization sooner and show a considerable reduction in post-surgical pain.”
Within the Fast Track, in addition, the surgeon carries out a pre-surgical telephone consultation with the objective of resolving any doubts regarding the intervention, as well as evaluating the follow-up of respiratory physiotherapy training.