Enhanced recovery after surgery for inflammatory bowel disease surgery: A systematic review.

Abstract

Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS) protocols, though well-established across surgical disciplines, remains underutilized in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) surgeries due to complexities like malnutrition and immunosuppression. This systematic review evaluated 13 studies involving 3,539 patients to assess the impact of ERAS implementation in IBD surgery. Data consistently showed that ERAS protocols reduced hospital stay, expedited bowel function return and decreased complications and readmissions compared to conventional care. Key components included nutritional optimization, laparoscopic techniques, early feeding and multimodal analgesia. Despite variability in adherence, the evidence supports integrating ERAS into IBD surgical management while advocating for further standardized research.