Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Protocols is Extremely Beneficial in Liver Surgeries - A Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND: Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programs aim to improve postoperative outcomes. This meta-analysis aims to evaluate the impact of ERAS programmes on outcomes following liver surgeries. METHODS: EMBASE, MEDLINE, PubMed and the Cochrane Database were searched for studies comparing outcomes in patients undergoing liver surgery utilizing ERAS principles with those patients receiving conventional care. The primary outcome was the occurrence of 30-day morbidity and mortality. Secondary outcomes included length of stay, functional recovery, readmission rates, time to pass flatus, blood loss and hospital costs. RESULTS: Ten articles were included in the meta-analysis. 30 days morbidity and mortality were significantly less in the ERAS group. Hospital stay, time to pass flatus, time to complete recovery and hospital costs were also significantly reduced due to ERAS protocols. Blood loss and readmission rates were also significantly less in the ERAS group. CONCLUSIONS: The adoption of ERAS protocols significantly reduced morbidity, mortality hospital stay, readmission rates, time to recovery, hospital costs, time to pass flatus, blood loss and readmission rates.