Objective: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of using enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programs in pancreatic surgery.
Methods: Two-hundred patients scheduled to undergo pancreatic surgery were enrolled and assigned to ERAS group or control group according to the order of operation time. Patients in ERAS group received perioperative care with the ERAS protocol, and those in control group underwent the conventional protocol for pancreatic surgery. Ninety-seven patients in ERAS group and 90 patients in control group were finally selected, and the relevant clinical variables between the two groups of patients were compared and analyzed.
Results: There were no significant differences in sex, age, surgery type and surgical procedure between the two groups of patients (all P>0.05). In ERAS group, the postoperative VAS score was significantly reduced, the time to first anal gas passage was significantly shortened, the incidence of pulmonary infection was significantly decreased, and the length of postoperative hospital stay was significantly reduced compared with control group (all P<0.05). There were no significant differences in terms of the time of anesthesia awareness, incidence rates of postoperative nausea/vomiting, and re-insertion of the urethral catheter, and incidence rates of other surgical complications as well as the rates of unplanned return to the operating room and unplanned return to hospital after discharge (all P>0.05).
Conclusion: ERAS pathway can be safely applied to pancreatic surgery, and it can promote the recovery of body function, shorten the length of hospital stay and improve the patient’s healthcare experience.