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Background: The enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol is a set of international guidelines established to expedite patients' discharge after colorectal surgery. It does this by aiming to prevent postoperative complications early, and return the patient to normal function allowing earlier discharge. Complications such as nausea, venous thromboembolism, ileus and pain are common after surgery to name a few, and delay discharge. Early treatment and prevention of these complications however is suggested to aid a patients' return to home at earlier rates than traditional practice. Methods: A prospective chart review and questionnaire was performed on patients undergoing colorectal surgery in University Hospital Limerick (UHL) in a 6-month period from February to September 2023. Patients were approached on the 3rd day postoperatively and informed about the project. Exclusion criteria included patients who went to high dependency unit (HDU) or intensive care unit (ICU) postoperatively. Results: In total, 33 patients were recruited. A target of greater than 70% compliance was reached for a variety of the elements of the ERAS protocol such as laparoscopic surgery, preoperative assessments, nutritional drinks, enoxaparin and oral intake within 24 hours of surgery, intraoperative antiemetics and 24-hour prophylactic antibiotics. Unsatisfactory compliance was found with documentation of intraoperative antibiotics and preoperative gabapentin usage. Conclusions: UHL has a satisfactory compliance of over 70% with a large variety of elements of the ERAS protocol. Areas of improvement required include documentation of intraoperative antibiotics and preoperative gabapentin usage. With the collective effort of the multidisciplinary team, along with education, the ERAS protocol can successfully be applied and implemented in a model 4 hospital in Ireland.
O’Connor et al. (Wed,) studied this question.