Liberating Surgical Capacity Through Enhanced Recovery: Health‐System Effects of ERAS Adherence in Resource‐Constrained Surgical Systems

Limited surgical capacity remains a major barrier to timely care, particularly in resource-constrained health systems. An estimated five billion people lack access to safe and affordable surgical care, emphasizing the need to improve efficiency within existing resources. Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) pathways improve postoperative recovery through standardized perioperative care, and higher protocol adherence is associated with better clinical outcomes. However, the broader health-system effects of ERAS adherence, particularly on hospital bed utilization and surgical capacity, remain insufficiently quantified. This study evaluated the association between ERAS adherence and postoperative outcomes and estimated its impact on hospital bed utilization.