Usefulness of enhanced recovery after surgery protocol as compared with conventional perioperative care in gastric surgery

Abstract

Radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer is among the most invasive procedures in gastrointestinal surgery. Several studies have found that an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol is useful in patients who undergo colorectal surgery, but its value in gastric surgery remains uncertain. The aim of this study was to assess the usefulness of an ERAS protocol for gastric surgery. We studied the clinical characteristics, oncological factors, surgical factors, and outcomes in patients who underwent elective radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer before and after the introduction of an ERAS protocol. The first days of oral intake, oral intake recovery, flatus, and defecation were significantly earlier in the ERAS group (n = 91) than in the conventional care (CONV) group (n = 100). Maximum pain evaluated on a visual analog scale and the number of additional analgesics on demand were significantly less in the ERAS group than in the CONV group. The ratio of the postoperative body weight at 1 week to the preoperative body weight was significantly higher in the ERAS group than in the CONV group (0.95 vs. 0.94, respectively, P = 0.01). Our results suggest that the ERAS protocol is useful in patients who undergo elective radical gastrectomy.