Surgical Recovery

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS)

A Team Approach to Preparing for Surgery and Recovering Well

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery, or ERAS, is a way of caring for patients before, during, and after an operation so the body handles surgery better and recovers sooner. It replaces some older habits, such as long fasting and days of bed rest, with steps backed by research: preparing your body ahead of time, controlling pain with fewer opioids, eating and walking soon after surgery, and planning your return home from the start.

At Surgical Associates of Southern Texas, Dr. Murtaza Shakir is board certified in General Surgery and Complex General Surgical Oncology. He offers open, laparoscopic, and robotic surgery for hernias, gallbladder disease, cancer, and other general surgery conditions, and he explains each step of preparation and recovery before your operation. He sees patients at offices in Katy and Sugar Land, serving Fort Bend County and Greater Houston.

Meet the Surgeon

Dr. Murtaza Shakir, MD, general surgeon and surgical oncologist in Katy and Sugar Land, TX

Dual board certified in General Surgery and Complex General Surgical Oncology
Named a Houstonia Top Doctor in General Surgery, 2026 (see listing)
Highly reviewed: rated 4.9 stars on Google
Specialized in laparoscopic and robotic hernia and gallbladder surgery, reflux and appendix surgery, cancer surgery, and helping patients prepare for and recover from surgery

Patient Reviews

Patient Experiences With Dr. Shakir

Rated 4.9 stars on Google. Real experiences from patients treated in Katy and Sugar Land.

Jump to a section

At a glance
What is ERAS?
ERAS vs. traditional care
Which surgeries use ERAS?
Your pre-surgery evaluation
Is ERAS right for me?
Meet your surgeon
How your plan is tailored
Benefits of ERAS
Before surgery
During surgery
After surgery
Your role in recovery
Risks and limits
Patient reviews
Why choose us
Insurance
Locations
FAQs
Schedule a consultation

At a Glance

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery at a Glance

What it is: A set of research-based care steps used before, during, and after surgery to help the body recover sooner. It is a care approach, not a type of operation.
Main goal: Lower the body’s stress response to surgery, keep your organs working as normally as possible, and get you eating, walking, and home safely.
Before surgery: Education about what to expect, getting your health in shape, stopping smoking, managing blood sugar and medicines, and clear fasting instructions.
During surgery: Small incisions when appropriate, careful anesthesia and fluids, keeping you warm, and preventing nausea and pain.
After surgery: Pain control with fewer opioids, eating and drinking early, getting out of bed early, removing tubes and lines as soon as it is safe, and clear discharge instructions.
Who is involved: Your surgeon, anesthesia team, nurses, and you. Your own effort, such as walking and breathing exercises, is a key part of the plan.
Get emergency care for: Chest pain, sudden shortness of breath, a painful swollen leg, heavy bleeding, severe belly pain, or high fever after surgery. Call 911.
Where: Offices in Katy and Sugar Land, TX. Call 713-955-9191.

Recovery Basics

What Is Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS)?

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) is a coordinated care pathway that covers your whole surgical journey, from the first visit through recovery at home. Each step is based on research, and together they aim to help you recover faster and with fewer problems.

Any operation puts stress on the body. Surgery, anesthesia, fasting, and lying in bed all trigger hormonal and inflammatory changes that can slow the bowels, raise blood sugar, weaken muscles, and make you feel unwell. ERAS tries to reduce this stress response and keep your organs working as close to normal as possible, so the body can focus on healing.

A Care Approach, Not a Procedure

ERAS is not an operation or a single treatment. It is a way of organizing care so your surgeon, anesthesia team, and nurses follow the same plan, and you know your part in it. The specific steps depend on your operation, your health, and where your surgery takes place.

Where ERAS Came From

Enhanced recovery began with major abdominal operations, such as bowel surgery, where long hospital stays were common. Its principles are now used for many types of planned surgery. The ERAS Society, an international medical society, publishes guidelines for a range of operations.

What Is Different

How Is Enhanced Recovery Different From Traditional Surgical Care?

Enhanced recovery replaces several long-standing surgical habits with practices shown to help the body recover. The ERAS Society notes that people often stay in the hospital after surgery because they need IV pain medicine, IV fluids while the bowels are slow to wake up, or bed rest. ERAS targets each of these.

Older Habits

Nothing to eat or drink from midnight, no matter when surgery starts
Pain treated mainly with opioid medicines
Tubes, drains, and catheters left in by routine
Several days of bed rest
Waiting days before eating again
Little information before surgery about what recovery involves

Enhanced Recovery Approach

Fasting instructions matched to your operation and anesthesia
Pain control that combines several methods to limit opioid use
Tubes and drains used only when needed and removed early
Getting out of bed the same day or the day after surgery, when safe
Drinking and eating again early, as your surgeon allows
Education ahead of time so you know what to expect and what to do

None of these steps is right for every patient. Your surgeon and anesthesia team decide which ones fit your operation and your health.

Who It Helps

Which Surgeries Use Enhanced Recovery Principles?

Enhanced recovery is used most for planned, major operations, but its basic ideas help patients recovering from many types of surgery. Preparing well, controlling pain, eating, and moving early are useful whether you go home the same day or stay in the hospital.

Enhanced recovery principles can apply to operations Dr. Shakir performs, such as:

Hernia repair, including robotic hernia repair
Gallbladder removal
Reflux surgery
Appendix removal, when time allows
Cancer operations for the colon and rectum, liver, pancreas, breast, and thyroid

For an emergency operation there is little time to prepare, but many of the steps during and after surgery can still be used.

Planning Ahead

How Your Health Is Checked Before Surgery

Enhanced recovery starts at your consultation, when your surgeon looks at your overall health as well as the problem that needs surgery. Finding and treating health issues early can lower the risk of problems later.

Your history: health conditions, past surgeries, any problems with anesthesia, smoking, alcohol use, and how active you are.
Your medicines: prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, supplements, and herbal products, especially blood thinners and diabetes medicines.
Physical exam: focused on the area that needs surgery and on your heart and lungs.
Tests if needed: such as blood tests, an ECG, a chest X-ray, or imaging, depending on your age, health, and operation.
Other doctors: you may be asked to see your primary care doctor or a specialist to manage diabetes, heart, or lung conditions before surgery.
Your questions: time to talk about the operation, the recovery plan, and what matters most to you.

See our pre-operative care guidance for more on what happens before surgery.

Tell Your Team If You Get Sick

If you develop a cold, flu, fever, or other illness in the days before surgery, call the office. Your operation may need to be moved to a safer date.

Your Plan

Is Enhanced Recovery Right for Me?

Most people having surgery can benefit from at least some enhanced recovery steps. The plan is adjusted to you, so the question is usually which steps fit, not whether you qualify.

Planned operations allow the most preparation, such as building strength, quitting smoking, and getting blood sugar under control.
Emergency operations leave little time to prepare, but pain control, early eating, and early walking can still help.
Other health conditions, such as diabetes, heart or lung disease, kidney disease, or frailty, may change the plan. Some steps may be slower or skipped.
Complications after surgery take priority. If something does not go as expected, your team changes the plan to keep you safe.

Enhanced recovery does not mean being rushed out of the hospital. You go home when you are ready, not on a fixed schedule.

Your Surgeon

Meet the Surgeon Guiding Your Recovery

Murtaza Shakir, MD

Board-Certified General Surgeon & Surgical Oncologist

Surgical care and recovery planning at Surgical Associates of Southern Texas is led by Dr. Murtaza Shakir, who is board certified in General Surgery and Complex General Surgical Oncology.

Board certification

American Board of Surgery: General Surgery and Complex General Surgical Oncology

Medical degree

Aga Khan University

Residency

General Surgery, Riverside Methodist Hospital, Columbus, Ohio

Fellowship

Two-year Surgical Oncology fellowship, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

Surgical practice includes

Hernia repair
Robotic surgery
Laparoscopic surgery
Complex abdominal surgery
Gallbladder surgery
Surgical oncology

Named a Houstonia Top Doctor in General Surgery (2026). Learn more about our general surgery services.

Personal Care

How Your Recovery Plan Is Tailored to You

Your recovery plan is built around your operation, your health, and your goals. Dr. Shakir takes time to explain each step so you understand your options and feel prepared before surgery. Several factors shape the plan.

Your Operation

A small outpatient hernia repair and a major cancer operation need very different plans for fasting, pain control, hospital stay, and activity.

Surgical Approach

Whether your operation is open, laparoscopic, or robotic affects pain, incision care, and how quickly you can return to normal activity.

Your Health

Conditions such as diabetes, heart or lung disease, sleep apnea, and blood thinner use change how you prepare and how closely you are watched afterward.

Your Fitness and Nutrition

How active you are and how well you have been eating affect healing. Weight loss without trying or low strength may need attention before planned surgery.

Anesthesia Plan

Your anesthesia team reviews your history and chooses the type of anesthesia and medicines to limit nausea, pain, and grogginess.

Support at Home

Who can drive you home and help for the first few days, and what your home setup looks like, are planned before surgery.

Why It Matters

What Are the Benefits of Enhanced Recovery?

Enhanced recovery is designed to help patients recover sooner and more comfortably while keeping safety first. Research on ERAS pathways, especially for major abdominal surgery, has linked them with fewer complications and shorter hospital stays. Results vary by operation and by patient.

Evidence-Based Team Care

Every step is chosen because research supports it. Surgeons, anesthesia providers, and nurses follow a shared plan instead of habit.

Better Prepared Patients

Improving your health and fitness before a planned operation helps you start surgery in the best condition you can.

Less Stress on the Body

Shorter fasting, careful fluids, keeping warm, and small incisions when appropriate help limit the body’s stress response.

Pain Control With Fewer Opioids

Combining different pain treatments can keep you comfortable while lowering side effects such as nausea, constipation, and drowsiness.

Earlier Eating and Walking

Getting the bowels and muscles working again sooner helps you regain strength and lowers the risk of some complications.

Shorter Hospital Stays

When you recover faster, you may be able to go home sooner. Shorter stays can also lower the overall cost of care.

Enhanced recovery cannot promise a specific result. It improves your chances of a smooth recovery, and your surgeon will tell you what to expect for your own operation.

Getting Ready

Before Surgery: How to Prepare Your Body

The weeks before a planned operation are a chance to get your body ready. Small changes can make a real difference in how you recover. Your surgeon will tell you which steps matter most for you.

Fasting and the Day Before Surgery

Follow the eating and drinking instructions you are given exactly. Fasting rules depend on your operation, your health, and your anesthesia plan. Many hospitals now allow clear liquids until a few hours before anesthesia instead of fasting from midnight, but do this only if your team says it is safe for you. If you are unsure, call the office.

Plan for Going Home

Arrange a ride home and someone to help for the first days. Set up a resting area, keep needed items within reach, and stock easy-to-prepare food. Knowing the plan in advance makes the return home smoother.

Stop Smoking

Smoking slows wound healing and raises the risk of lung and wound problems. Quitting as early as possible before surgery lowers these risks. Ask for help if you need it.

Limit Alcohol

Tell your surgeon how much you drink, especially if it is more than one or two drinks a day. Heavy drinking can affect healing and recovery.

Stay Active

Walking or other activity you can safely do builds strength and stamina before surgery. This is sometimes called prehabilitation.

Eat Well

Your body needs protein and calories to heal. Tell your surgeon if you have lost weight without trying or have trouble eating.

Manage Blood Sugar

Surgery can raise blood sugar. If you have diabetes, work with your doctors to bring it under good control before your operation.

Review Your Medicines

Some medicines, such as blood thinners and anti-inflammatory pain relievers, may need to be stopped beforehand. Never stop a medicine unless your care team tells you to.

In the Operating Room

During Surgery: What Your Team Focuses On

During the operation, your surgeon and anesthesia team work to keep your body as stable as possible. These steps happen while you are asleep or sedated, so you may not notice them, but they shape how you feel afterward. Depending on your operation, they may include:

Smaller incisions when appropriate: laparoscopic or robotic surgery often means less pain and a quicker return to activity than open surgery. Some operations still need an open approach.
A tailored anesthesia plan: medicines chosen to help you wake up clear-headed and comfortable.
Preventing nausea: medicines given during surgery to lower the chance of nausea and vomiting.
Planning pain control early: combining different types of pain relief, which may include numbing medicine, so you need fewer opioids afterward.
Careful fluids: giving the right amount of IV fluid, since too much or too little can slow recovery.
Keeping you warm: a normal body temperature helps lower the risk of bleeding and infection.
Using tubes and drains only when needed: fewer tubes make it easier to get up and move.
Preventing infection and blood clots: antibiotics when indicated, and clot prevention matched to your risk.

Open, Laparoscopic, and Robotic Surgery

Dr. Shakir offers open, laparoscopic, and robotic surgery. The best approach depends on your condition, prior surgery, and overall health. Learn more about robotic hernia repair and robotic gallbladder surgery.

Recovery Steps

After Surgery: Getting Back on Your Feet

Recovery steps begin within hours of surgery. Your effort in these first days matters as much as anything done in the operating room. Typical enhanced recovery steps include:

Drinking and eating early: many patients start with fluids soon after surgery and move to food as their surgeon allows.
Getting out of bed early: sitting up and walking, often the same day or the next day, helps the bowels wake up, protects the lungs, and lowers the risk of blood clots.
Breathing exercises: deep breaths and coughing, sometimes with a breathing device called an incentive spirometer, help keep the lungs clear.
Pain control with fewer opioids: scheduled non-opioid medicines when safe, with opioids saved for pain that is not controlled otherwise.
Removing lines early: IV lines, urinary catheters, and drains are taken out as soon as they are no longer needed.
Going home when ready: usually once your pain is controlled with pills, you can eat and drink, you are walking, and there are no warning signs.

See our post-operative care instructions and pain management pages for more detail.

Recovering at Home

Keep walking several times a day and slowly add normal activities. Follow your instructions for lifting, driving, showering, and incision care. Attend your follow-up visit so your surgeon can check your healing. For problems with a slow-healing incision, our wound care services can help.

When to Call the Office

Call 713-955-9191 if you have a fever, increasing redness, warmth, or drainage from an incision, pain not controlled by your medicine, nausea that keeps you from eating or drinking, or no bowel movement for several days.

When to Get Emergency Care After Surgery

Some problems after surgery need immediate care. Seek emergency help for chest pain or sudden shortness of breath, a painful, swollen, warm leg, heavy bleeding from an incision, severe belly pain or a hard, swollen belly, vomiting that will not stop, or high fever with chills or confusion. For a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.

Partnering With You

Your Role in Enhanced Recovery

You are an active member of your care team. Enhanced recovery works best when patients understand the plan and take part in it. Here is a simple checklist.

Bring a full list of your medicines, supplements, and allergies to every visit.
Ask questions until you understand the operation and the recovery plan.
Stop smoking and limit alcohol as early as you can.
Stay as active as you safely can before surgery.
Follow fasting and medicine instructions exactly.
Plan your ride home and help for the first days.
Get up and walk as soon as your team says it is safe.
Do your breathing exercises.
Tell your nurses about pain, nausea, or anything that feels wrong.
Keep your follow-up appointment.

Having one-on-one time with your surgeon helps you understand the condition and the procedure. Bring a family member or friend to your visit if you would like support. For more preparation tips, see questions to ask your surgeon before surgery.

Staying Safe

Risks and Limits of Enhanced Recovery

Enhanced recovery lowers some risks, but it does not remove the risks of surgery itself. Every operation carries possible complications, and your surgeon reviews the ones that apply to you. General risks of surgery include:

Pain, swelling, and soreness around the incision
Infection of the wound or inside the body
Bleeding
Injury to nearby organs, nerves, or blood vessels
Blood clots in the legs or lungs
Reactions to anesthesia

Enhanced recovery steps are adjusted or paused if they are not safe for you. For example, eating may wait if the bowels are slow to recover, and walking may be limited after certain operations. Going home sooner is a goal only when it is safe. If you do not feel ready, tell your team.

Why Choose Us

Why Choose Surgical Associates of Southern Texas for Your Surgery?

Dr. Murtaza Shakir is board certified in General Surgery and Complex General Surgical Oncology, and prepares patients for surgery and recovery at offices in Katy and Sugar Land.

The operation, preparation and recovery explained clearly
Open, laparoscopic and robotic approaches offered
The approach that fits your condition, and why
Safe, compassionate care from consultation through follow-up
Consultations in Katy and Sugar Land

Insurance Coverage

Insurance for Surgery

Surgical Associates of Southern Texas accepts many major insurance plans for surgical consultations and surgery, including participating Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, and Blue Cross Blue Shield plans. Our office can confirm whether your specific plan participates and whether a referral or prior authorization is needed before your visit.

Coverage, network participation, authorization requirements, and your share of the cost vary by plan. You can also review the insurance accepted for surgical care at our practice.

Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, and Blue Cross Blue Shield are only some of the plans we accept. Plan-specific details are on our Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, and Blue Cross Blue Shield pages. If your plan is not listed, contact our office and our team will help verify it.

Insurance participation and benefits vary by individual plan. Verification does not guarantee coverage, authorization or payment. Please contact our office and your insurer to verify benefits before treatment.

Our Locations

Two Convenient Fort Bend County Offices

Learn more about our Katy and Sugar Land practices, or view all locations.

Katy Office

410 W Grand Pkwy S, Suite 4D
Katy, TX 77494

Serves: Katy, Fulshear, Richmond, Cinco Ranch and West Houston

Get directions

Sugar Land Office

17510 W Grand Pkwy S, Suite 320
Sugar Land, TX 77479

Serves: Sugar Land, Richmond, Stafford, Missouri City, Fort Bend County and Southwest Houston

View on Google Maps

Approximate Drive Times

From West Houston (Energy Corridor): about 15 minutes to Katy, or 25 to 30 minutes to Sugar Land.

From North Houston: about 40 to 50 minutes to either office, depending on traffic.

Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions About Enhanced Recovery After Surgery

What does ERAS stand for?

ERAS stands for Enhanced Recovery After Surgery. It is a set of research-based care steps used before, during, and after an operation to help patients recover sooner and with fewer problems.

Is ERAS a type of surgery?

No. ERAS is a way of organizing care around an operation, not an operation itself. It can be combined with open, laparoscopic, or robotic surgery.

What is the main goal of enhanced recovery?

The goal is to lower the stress surgery puts on the body and keep your organs working as normally as possible. That helps you eat, walk, and return home safely sooner.

Will I go home sooner with enhanced recovery?

Many patients do, but the goal is to go home when you are ready, not on a fixed schedule. You are usually ready when pain is controlled with pills, you are eating and drinking, and you are walking.

Can I eat or drink before surgery?

Follow the exact instructions you are given. Some hospitals now allow clear liquids until a few hours before anesthesia, but rules depend on your operation and health. If you are unsure, call the office.

How soon can I eat after surgery?

Many patients start drinking soon after surgery and eat again as their surgeon allows, often within the first day. After some bowel or stomach operations, eating may be introduced more slowly.

Why do I need to walk so soon after surgery?

Walking helps the bowels start working, keeps the lungs clear, maintains muscle strength, and lowers the risk of blood clots. Your nurses will help you get up safely the first time.

Will I still need pain medicine?

Yes. Enhanced recovery aims to keep you comfortable while using fewer opioids. It combines different pain treatments, such as acetaminophen and, when safe, anti-inflammatory medicines, with opioids kept for pain not controlled otherwise.

Do I need to stop smoking before surgery?

Yes, as early as possible. Smoking slows healing and raises the risk of lung and wound problems. Quitting lowers these risks, and your doctor can help you find support.

When should I call the office after surgery?

Call 713-955-9191 for fever, increasing redness or drainage from an incision, pain not controlled by your medicine, or nausea that keeps you from eating or drinking. For chest pain, trouble breathing, or heavy bleeding, call 911.

Sources and references

About ERAS, ERAS Society
Strong for Surgery: Preparing for Surgery, American College of Surgeons (ACS)
Getting Yourself Healthy Before Surgery, MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine
After Surgery, MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine
Preparing for Surgery: Checklist, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), Made for This Moment

Reviewed by the Review Team at Surgical Associates of Southern Texas.

Medical Disclaimer: This page provides general information and is not a substitute for medical advice. For chest pain, trouble breathing, heavy bleeding, severe abdominal pain, or other emergencies after surgery, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. Last updated October 16, 2026.

Schedule a Surgical Consultation

Planning an operation, or have questions about how to prepare and recover? Schedule a consultation with Dr. Murtaza Shakir to learn whether surgery is the right step, which approach fits you, and how pain, eating and activity will be managed afterward. Offices in Katy and Sugar Land serve Richmond, Fulshear and Greater Houston.

713-955-9191