HCM CITY — FV Hospital, a private facility in HCM City and a member of Singapore-based Thomson Medical Group, has tied up with Swedish health technology company Encare AB to implement the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) programme for improving surgical outcomes through evidence-based care and internationally recognised guidelines.

The partnership brings FV into Encare’s Asia-Pacific network of 22 hospitals in 11 countries.

It aims to standardise surgical care, use clinical data to evaluate treatment outcomes and support FV in pursuing ERAS Qualification, an independent assessment by the ERAS Society.

The programme will initially cover colorectal surgery and hip and knee arthroplasty.

ERAS comprises evidence-based care protocols covering the entire surgical regime, from preoperative preparation to postoperative recovery.

These include patient education and nutritional support before surgery, anaesthesia and pain management, and early mobilisation and feeding afterwards.

Jean-Marcel Guillon, CEO of FV Hospital, said the initiative aligned with the hospital’s strategy of delivering medical excellence.

“ERAS® is an evidence-based approach to surgical care aimed at minimising the stress of surgery and accelerating recovery.

“It is a care pathway designed to improve the patient’s surgical experience, helping patients to be as well prepared as possible before surgery and supporting an easier and faster recovery.”

Under the partnership, FV’s clinical teams will participate in the ERAS® Implementation Programme, delivered by trainers appointed by the ERAS Society.

The teams will also use Encare’s ERAS interactive audit system to monitor compliance with clinical guidelines and track outcomes such as length of hospital stay, complications, and readmissions.

Real-world data will help clinical teams identify inconsistencies in practice, prioritise improvements and assess the impact of changes on patient care.

Phạm Thị Thanh Mai, FV Hospital’s chief operating officer, said following the training, the hospital will review at least 50 surgeries performed before the implementation of ERAS® to establish a baseline for comparison, assess compliance and examine outcomes, including length of hospital stay

The findings would help the teams refine procedures and monitor subsequent surgical cases, she added.

The three-year partnership will involve before-and-after assessments based on the actual number of cases treated at FV.

Dr Vũ Trường Sơn, the hospital’s medical director, said research had linked better adherence to ERAS guidelines with improved recovery outcomes.

He cited a 2024 meta-analysis published in JAMA Network Open, which found that ERAS reduced hospital stays by nearly two days on average and lowered the relative risk of complications by about 29 per cent compared with conventional care. — BIZHUB