RESUMO
BACKGROUND: An Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) program in colorectal surgery is able to significantly reduce the morbidity rates and postoperative hospital stay (LOS) related to the intervention. However, it is not clear what modalities and levels of implementation are necessary to achieve these results. The purpose of this work is to analyze the methods and results of the first year of implementation of the program in two centers of the Agenzia Sanitaria Unica Regionale (ASUR) Marche. MATERIALS: After a structured implementation pathway, characterized by the creation of a core team, field training, internal courses and coaching, the details of 196 consecutive cases of patients submitted to colorectal resection over a one-year period in two surgical units of the ASUR Marche were prospectively loaded in a database, considering over 50 variables including adherence to the individual items of the ERAS program. The primary outcomes were: overall and major morbidity, mortality and anastomotic dehiscence rates; secondary outcomes were: LOS, re-admission and re-intervention rates. The results of primary endpoints were evaluated by univariable and multivariable analyses with logistic regression and, thereafter, according to ERAS item adherence rate. RESULTS: After a median (interquartile range, IQR) follow-up of 40 (32-94) days, we recorded complications in 72 patients (overall morbidity 36.7%), major morbidity in 14 patients (7.1%), 6 deaths (mortality 3.1%), an anastomotic dehiscence in 9 cases (4.9%), median (IQR) overalll LOS 5 (3-7) days, 10 readmissions (5.1%) and 13 reoperations (6.7%). The mean adherence rate to the items of the ERAS program was 85.4%, showing a significant dose-effect curve for overall morbidity, major morbidity, anastomotic leakage and for overall LOS. DISCUSSION: The ERAS implementation methods in this project led to a high adherence (>80%) to the program items. All the results showed a significant improvement compared to the previous pre-implementation period and according to the adherence to program items rate.