Prospective study of the effect of ERAS on postoperative recovery and complications in patients with gastric cancer.

OBJECTIVE

To study the efficacy of the enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) program on postoperative recovery and complications in patients with gastric cancer.

METHODS

Eighty patients in the perioperative period with radical gastrectomy were enrolled and randomly divided into 2 groups, the ERAS group and the non-ERAS group. The differences between the 2 groups in terms of postoperative recoveries and complications rate were determined. According to the body mass index (BMI) level, the ERAS group was divided into 2 subgroups, namely group A (BMI < 28 kg/m, = 16) and group B (BMI ≥ 28 kg/m, = 24). The non-ERAS group was also divided into group C (BMI < 28 kg/m, = 18) and group D (BMI ≥ 28 kg/m, = 22). The recovery and complications of each group were then determined.

RESULTS

The postoperative length of stay and visual analogue scale pain score were less in the ERAS group than the non-ERAS group ( < 0.05). Time to first postoperative exhaustion, first postoperative defecation, returning leukocyte count to normal, and stopping intravenous nutrition were significantly shorter in the ERAS group ( = 40), compared to the non-ERAS group ( = 40, all < 0.05). The incidence of postoperative lower extremity intramuscular venous thrombosis was significantly higher in group D than in group B (χ = 4.800, = 0.028). In addition, the incidence of lower extremity intermuscular venous thrombosis and lung infection in group D was higher than those in other groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The perioperative ERAS program was associated with faster recovery in patients undergoing radical gastrectomy. For patients with higher BMI (BMI ≥ 28 kg/m), the use of the perioperative ERAS program was more advantageous.