The future of pediatric enhanced recovery after surgery is bright!

There is an abundance of data for the use of enhanced recovery after surgery protocols (ERPs) in the adult literature. These ERPs are not used only to expedite discharge after surgery, but to optimize patients before surgery, standardize their care during surgery, and shorten the time to full post-operative recovery. However, the use of ERPs in pediatric surgery has lagged behind adult surgeons. This is primarily due to specific challenges in pediatric surgery including a lack of consensus guidelines, data to support their use, and the belief that many of the principles are already followed. Early champions of ERPs have demonstrated their utility and effectiveness in children. This special issue of the Journal of Pediatric Surgery – Open highlights the current state and future of ERPs in children. The contributing authors demonstrate that the future of pediatric ERPs is very bright and will ultimately lead to better recovery for our patients.