Adapted ERAS Pathway Versus Standard Care in Patients Undergoing Emergency Small Bowel Surgery: a Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Emergency laparotomy for small bowel pathologies comprises a significant number of all emergency surgeries. Application of evidence-based adapted enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol can potentially improve the perioperative outcome in these procedures. AIMS: To determine the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of adapted ERAS pathway in emergency small bowel surgery. METHODOLOGY: This was a single-center, prospective, open-labeled, superiority, randomized controlled trial. Patients suspected to have small bowel pathology by the emergency surgical team were randomized preoperatively into standard care and adapted ERAS group. Patients with American Society of Anesthesiologist class ≥ 3, polytrauma patients with associated other intra-abdominal organ injuries, duodenal ulcer perforations, patients presenting with refractory shock, and pregnant patients were excluded. Primary outcome parameter was the length of hospitalization (LOH). Morbidity and other functional recovery parameters were also assessed. RESULTS: Thirty-five patients were included in the adapted ERAS and standard care group. The laboratory and demographic variables were comparable. Patients in the ERAS group had significantly earlier recovery (days) in terms of first fluid diet (1.48 ± 0.18, p < 0.001), solid diet (2.11 ± 0.17, p < 0.001), time to first flatus (1.25 ± 0.24, p < 0.001), and first stool (1.8 ± 0.27, p < 0.001). Postoperative nausea, vomiting (RR 0.69, p = 0.19), pulmonary complications (RR 0.38, p = 0.16), superficial (RR 0.79, p = 0.33), and deep surgical site infections (RR 0.65, p = 0.39) were similar. Compared with the standard care group, ERAS group had significantly shorter LOH (8 ± 0.38 vs. 10.83 ± 0.42; Mean difference, 2.83 ± 0.56; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Adapted ERAS pathways are feasible, safe, and significantly reduces the LOH in select patients undergoing emergency small bowel surgery.