Effect of an enhanced recovery after surgery protocol in patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy: A randomized controlled trial

Background & aims Evidence of the advantages of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols following pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) is limited. The aim of this study was to examine the efficiency of ERAS protocols in patients following PD. Methods Between June 2014 and October 2016, patients undergoing PD were randomly assigned to receive ERAS protocols or standard care. The primary endpoint was the postoperative length of stay. Secondary endpoints included postoperative complications, postoperative quality-of-life (QoR-40J), readmission, and medical cost. Results Of 80 eligible patients, 74 were analyzed in intention-to-treat principles: 37 in the control group and 37 in the ERAS group. The mean length of stay in the ERAS group was significantly shorter than that in the control group (20.1 ± 5.4 vs 26.9 ± 13.5 days, P < 0.001). The ERAS group had a significantly lower percentage of postoperative complications (32.4% vs 56.8%, P = 0.034) and readmissions (0% vs 8.1%, P = 0.038). Quality-of-life was also significantly better in the ERAS group (184 ± 12.4 vs 177 ± 14.5, P = 0.022). The total medical cost was lower in the ERAS group, but not significantly ($25,445 ± 5065 vs $28,384 ± 9999, P = 0.085). Conclusions The optimization of ERAS protocols in patients undergoing PD is safe and accelerates perioperative recovery and quality-of-life, thereby reducing the length of stay. Morbidity was significantly decreased in the ERAS group without compromising surgical outcome. Registration number UMIN000014068.