EP721 - ERAS Compliance In The Lehigh Valley Health Network Colorectal Surgery Department, 9 Years Of Experience

Purpose/Background: Literature has been published supporting the value of enhanced recovery programs (ERPs) in improving patient safety and quality of surgical care. Studies have shown that ERPs with high compliance are associated with improved patient outcomes in colorectal surgery. High-volume centers with multidisciplinary support have reported improvements (defined as >20%) in compliance. The compliance of the Colorectal Surgery Department in the Lehigh Valley Health Network(LVHN) with the ERP were evaluated, as well as factors of the ERP that have been the cause of non-compliance.

Methods/Interventions: Retrospective chart review. Patients who underwent ERAS protocol listed surgeries in our institution between June 1, 2015 and January 31, 2024 were enrolled. Minors, cases performed by surgeons other than the Colorectal Surgery Department, and urgent or cancelled surgeries were excluded. Preoperative mechanical bowel preparation, multimodal pain control, postoperative early mobilization, postoperative early liquid intake, and postoperative early solid intake were evaluated.

Results/Outcomes: After exclusion criteria were applied, 1523 patients were analyzed. The compliance improved from 65.5% to 83.3%. The fully compliant patients had a median length of stay of 3 days, while the non-compliant stayed longer: median of 5 days. Patients who underwent TAP or epidural anesthesia required less opioids than the general anesthesia only in the postoperative time, 50.9% vs. 48.8%, p 0.0007.

Conclusion/Discussion: ERAS has helped with the recovery of patients, showing decreased LOS and costs. The quality of life during the recovery makes it more pleasant for patients. This study showed the relationship between ERAS compliance and decreased LOS, as well as improved conformity to this protocol throughout the years in our institution's Colorectal Surgery Department.

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