Enhanced recovery after surgery versus conventional perioperative care in elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy: A randomized controlled study

Objectives: The objective of the study is to compare perioperative anxiety and recovery outcomes between an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS)-based perioperative anesthetic protocol and conventional perioperative care in patients undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Material and Methods: This prospective randomized controlled study enrolled 64 adult patients (American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I–II) scheduled for elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy under general anesthesia. Participants were randomized into an ERAS group or a conventional care group. The ERAS protocol included structured preoperative counseling, shortened fasting with carbohydrate loading, multimodal opioid-sparing analgesia, routine PONV prophylaxis, maintenance of normothermia, and early postoperative oral intake and mobilization. The primary outcome was perioperative anxiety assessed using a visual analog-based anxiety scale. Secondary outcomes included postoperative pain scores, incidence of PONV, time to oral intake, time to ambulation, patient satisfaction, and length of hospital stay. Results: Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics were comparable between the groups. Patients managed with the ERAS protocol demonstrated significantly lower perioperative anxiety scores compared with those receiving conventional care ( P < 0.05). Time to oral intake, ambulation, patient satisfaction scores, and length of hospital stay were significantly improved in the ERAS group ( P < 0.05). Postoperative pain scores and incidence of PONV were comparable between groups. Conclusion: An ERAS-based perioperative anesthetic approach significantly improves perioperative comfort and recovery outcomes in elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy without increasing perioperative complications.