Enhanced Recovery in Bariatric Surgery: A Study of Short-Term Outcomes and Compliance

Introduction: The implementation of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) guidelines has been widely studied among various surgical specialties. We aimed at comparing the perioperative outcomes and compliance with ERAS protocol in bariatric surgery at our center. Methods: An observational review of a prospectively maintained database was performed. Patients who underwent primary bariatric surgery (gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy) between January 2011 and June 2018 were included. Patients were divided into pre- and post-ERAS groups. Data including basic demographic information, length of hospital stay, 30-day perioperative complications, and readmission rates were collected. Compliance with elements of ERAS was assessed using a combination of chart review and a prospectively implemented checklist. P < 0.05 was chosen to be statistically significant. Results: A total of 435 patients were included: 239 patients in the pre-ERAS group and 196 patients in the post-ERAS group. There were no statistical differences in baseline demographics and major comorbidities between the 2 groups. The post-ERAS group had shorter length of hospital stay (2.23 vs 1.23, p < 0.001) and lower rates of 30-day postoperative morbidity (8.7 vs 4%, p =.04). There was no significant difference between the 2 groups with respect to readmissions rates. There was no mortality in either group. Overall compliance rates with ERAS elements were 85%; compliance increased significantly with the implementation of a checklist (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Implementation of ERAS program for bariatric surgery is safe and feasible. It reduces hospital stay and postoperative morbidity. Easy to implement strategies such as checklists should be encouraged in bariatric programs to aid in implementation and compliance with ERAS elements for perioperative care.