The effectivity of enhanced recovery after surgery protocol implementation for colorectal surgery

BACKGROUND: Implementation of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols has been shown to reduce the length of stay (LOS) and reduce complications in colorectal surgery. However, this benefit is closely related to protocol compliance, which is a significant implementation challenge. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of implementing an ERAS protocol with conventional colorectal surgery protocols in terms of LOS and complications.METHODS: This was a retrospective study conducted at Dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo Hospital. We collected data from the medical records of patients who underwent colorectal surgery. Bivariate analysis was performed using the χ2 test to compare categorical data. The Mann-Whitney Test was used to compare variances between the two groups. P values of less than 0.05 were considered significant.RESULTS: Of the total of 70 patients, 35 underwent colorectal surgery with the implementation of the ERAS protocol, and 35 received conventional protocols. The median LOS in the ERAS group was 3 days shorter than in the conventional group (10 vs.13 days, P=0.008). No significant differences existed in the gender, age, or Body Mass Index status of patients by LOS. We found no significant difference in surgical complications between the ERAS and conventional protocol groups.CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of an ERAS protocol can reduce LOS in colorectal surgery patients. It could be implemented more widely and consistently to accelerate surgery outcomes.