Enhanced Recovery After Surgery-Way Forward in Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy?

Background: With the paradigm shift happening in perioperative care which is progressively towards better patient recovery in terms of speed & quality of patient comfort, ERAS has emerged as a method to achieve it. With LC being one of the most common surgical procedures with most surgeons adopting “FastTrack” approach in respect to it, it makes a strong case for developing a standard ERAS protocol for the same. Aims & Objectives: The purpose of this study was to implement a tailored ERAS program for elective LC in patients to promote early recovery while maintaining standard of care. Methods: A prospective randomized controlled study was conducted on 156 patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy procedure from August 2018 to December 2019- Data regarding length of hospital stay, patient satisfaction, pain score, PONV, SSI, readmissions, morbidity & mortality were collected. Results: Patients in mERAS group showed early recovery, shortened LOHS (mERAS=1.54 +/-0.14 Vs conventional=2.3+/-0.23) & better postoperative pain tolerance. Conclusion: Patients in enhanced recovery group showed better overall recovery and satisfaction in peri operative period.