Current Approaches to Optimizing Surgical Treatment of Colorectal Cancer
Study Objective: To assess the effectiveness of an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol in patients undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer. Study Design: This was a single comparative prospective study. Materials and Methods: Ninety-eight patients with colorectal cancer were treated at the Department of Surgery of the Federal Clinical Research Center for Specialized Medical Care and Medical Technologies (a Federal Government-Funded Institution) of the Russian Federal Medical Biological Agency between 2010 and 2016. Patients underwent radical surgery. Thirty-seven patients (main group) were treated using an ERAS protocol, and sixty-one patients (comparison group) were treated using a conventional approach. The following parameters were studied: duration of surgery, intraoperative blood loss, number of intra- and postoperative complications, intensity of pain, time until return of bowel peristalsis, time to passing the first stool after surgery, time to first ambulation, and length of hospital stay. Study Results: Use of the ERAS protocol significantly reduced intraoperative blood loss, the number of postoperative complications, and pain intensity, and shortened the time until return of bowel peristalsis, time to passing the first stool, time to first ambulation, and length of hospital stay (p < 0.05 for all comparisons). Conclusion: Implementation of ERAS protocols for colorectal patients in clinical settings results in positive medical outcomes and has an important social and economic impact.