Enhanced Recovery After Surgery: Are Benefits Demonstrated in International Studies Replicable in Pakistan?

Objectives To determine the efficacy of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols in terms of frequency of surgical site infection (SSI) and length of hospital stay in patients undergoing colorectal surgeries for colorectal carcinoma. Study design Quasi-experimental study. Setting/Duration of study Department of Surgery, Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad, from May 7, 2019 to November 6, 2019. Methodology A total of 120 patients with colorectal carcinomas who fulfilled that sample selection criteria were studied. After randomization, patients were divided into two equal groups; one group received management under ERAS while the second group received conventional management. All patients were recorded for length of hospital stay and the development of SSIs. Data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0. Results The mean age was 42.34 ± 14.45 years, with a male majority, i.e., 72 (60%). The mean duration of in-patient stay was 3.45 ± 1.73 days with ERAS and 8.25 ± 1.58 days with conventional management (p < 0.001). A total of 28 (23.3%) SSIs developed, of which nine (7.5%) SSIs occurred with ERAS, while 19 (15.8%) occurred with traditional management (p = 0.031). Conclusion ERAS protocols have been demonstrated to be effective, cheap, and safe. There is a tangible reduction in length of hospital stay and incidence of SSIs which translates into reduced utilization of resources and financial costs. However, strict adherence to the protocol may be necessary to obtain the aforementioned benefits, which may be difficult to do in the face of professional, institutional, and personal inertia. Intensive efforts are required to make these protocols more convenient and attractive to implement, so as to facilitate conversion to this management approach.