Background

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols represent evidence-based perioperative care pathways designed to reduce surgical stress, accelerate recovery, decrease complications, and improve patient outcomes. ERAS programs incorporate multidisciplinary interventions across the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative phases of care. Over the last two decades, ERAS has become an important component of modern surgical practice.

Objective

This study evaluates the effectiveness of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery protocols in improving postoperative outcomes, reducing hospital length of stay, minimizing complications, and enhancing patient satisfaction compared with conventional perioperative care.

Methods

A retrospective comparative study was conducted involving 800 patients undergoing elective abdominal, colorectal, and general surgical procedures. Four hundred patients received standard perioperative care, while 400 patients were managed using ERAS protocols. Clinical outcomes including length of hospital stay, complication rates, readmission rates, postoperative pain scores, and patient satisfaction were analyzed.

Results

Patients managed under ERAS protocols demonstrated significantly shorter hospital stays, reduced postoperative complications, earlier mobilization, lower pain scores, and improved patient satisfaction. Mean hospital stay decreased from 7.2 days in the conventional care group to 4.3 days in the ERAS group (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

ERAS protocols significantly improve postoperative recovery and patient outcomes while reducing healthcare utilization. Wider implementation of ERAS pathways may contribute to enhanced surgical quality, patient safety, and cost-effectiveness.