Abstract INTRODUCTION Improved recovery protocols were implemented in surgical specialties over the last decade, which decreased anesthetic and surgical stress and the incidence of perioperative complications. However, these recovery protocols were introduced more slowly for cardiac surgeries. The most frequent complications in cardiac surgery are related to patient clinical status and the characteristics of the surgical procedures involved, which are becoming more varied and complex every day. The first version of the enhanced recovery program for cardiac surgery was published in 2019, but its recommendations were based on only a few studies, and scant research has evaluated its implementation. Randomized and controlled clinical trials for these protocols are scarce, so research that summarizes the results of studies with other methodological designs are useful in demonstrating their benefits in cardiovascular surgery services in Cuba and in other limited-resource settings. OBJECTIVE Estimate the effectiveness of improved recovery protocols in the perioperative evolution of patients undergoing cardiac surgery.