Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols in patients with advanced ovarian cancer undergoing ultra-radical cytoreductive surgery with intestinal resection and anastomosis: a retrospective study

To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) in the perioperative management of patients with advanced ovarian cancer. We collected and retrospectively analyzed the data of patients with advanced ovarian cancer who underwent tumor debulking surgery with intraoperative intestinal resection and anastomosis at our center from May 2020 to May 2022. All patients achieved R0 tumor debulking and were divided into an ERAS and a control group based on their perioperative interventions. The feasibility and effectiveness of ERAS were evaluated by comparing intensive care unit (ICU) admission rates, ICU stay time, hospital stay, time from surgery to postoperative chemotherapy, and incidence of postoperative complications. A total of 40 patients with advanced ovarian cancer, 18 in the ERAS group and 22 in the control group, were eligible for this study. We observed no significant differences in baseline data and surgical conditions. Regarding postoperative recovery, there was no significant difference in the ICU admission rate, length of ICU stay, and the incidence of postoperative complications. While the ERAS group had a shorter time interval from surgery to postoperative chemotherapy, 16 (9–18) days vs. 20 (10–24) days (p = 0.042), and a shorter hospital stay, 20 (18–21) days vs. 24 (19–28) days (p = 0.025). The ERAS strategy might improve postoperative recovery and shorten the time interval from surgery to postoperative chemotherapy and hospital stay in patients with advanced ovarian cancer who underwent ultra-radical cytoreductive surgery, without increasing the incidence of complications.