Enhanced recovery after surgery in ambulatory procedures

Purpose of review The expansion of ambulatory surgeries has increased the demand for efficient, safe, and patient-centered perioperative strategies. Enhanced recovery after surgery principles offer a structured framework to streamline ambulatory care. This review highlights recent evidence and advancements in the management of patients undergoing ambulatory procedures. Recent findings Recent evidence has broadened the anesthetic armamentarium for ambulatory enhanced recovery pathways. Hypnotics such as remimazolam and ciprofol show promising safety profiles in select patient populations. Adjunct anesthetics, including low-dose ketamine, low-dose dexmedetomidine, and methadone, are increasingly being studied for opioid sparing analgesia. Other advances include Bispectral index-guided closed-loop systems, refined antiemetic strategies, and patient-centered recovery metrics to guide discharge readiness. Summary Current evidence endorses the utilization of enhanced recovery protocols for ambulatory anesthesia, with anesthesiologists assuming a pivotal role. Additional research is required to assess newer agents within these enhanced recovery frameworks, establish standardized patient-centered outcome measures, and incorporate real-time audit tools.