A review of enhanced recovery after surgery in kidney and liver transplantation and outline of the Newcastle ERAS protocols

Although Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS) is now common practice across various surgical specialties, the adoption of its principles has only recently gained momentum in liver and kidney transplantation. The publication of relevant ERAS guidelines in these specialties has undoubtedly facilitated the assimilation of evidence in support of ERAS components, the paucity of which had been viewed as a barrier to the implementation of ERAS in transplantation. In conjunction, institutionally-developed ERAS pathways have provided pragmatic examples of how these principles can be adopted within transplant practice. In this article, we summarise the current recommendations and underlying evidence for key components of an enhanced recovery programme in kidney and liver transplantation, with reference to contemporary national guidance, and outline the Newcastle ERAS protocols in these specialties as illustrative models of implementation.