For many patients, surgery can feel like the hardest part of the journey. But recovery begins long before a patient enters the operating theatre.

At Gleneagles Hospital Johor, a multidisciplinary team has been quietly redesigning the way patients are supported before, during and after knee replacement surgery.

This work has led to the hospital becoming the first in Malaysia to achieve ERAS® Qualification in Knee Arthroplasty.

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) is a structured, evidence-based approach that helps patients recover faster and with greater confidence. Instead of focusing only on the surgery itself, ERAS looks at the full recovery journey. Patients are prepared earlier, guided on nutrition, supported with better pain control and encouraged to move sooner after surgery, where appropriate.

For knee replacement patients, this can mean clearer preparation before surgery, improved comfort after the procedure, earlier mobilisation, fewer complications, shorter hospital stays and a smoother return to daily life.

What makes this meaningful is not just the certification. It is the team behind it.

It began with a practical challenge: how could the hospital better support recovery while managing bed capacity safely? Dr Shah Fathil, Anaesthesiologist and ERAS Lead & Advisor, proposed ERAS as one way to reduce length of stay without compromising the quality of care.

From there, the work became a team effort involving surgeons, anaesthesiologists, nurses, physiotherapists, dietitians and hospital leaders.

This is what progress in healthcare often looks like. Not one big change, but many small, coordinated steps that make the patient journey safer and more predictable.

Congratulations to the team at Gleneagles Hospital Johor for showing what is possible when care is built around recovery, not just treatment.