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Enhanced recovery after surgery

Enhanced recovery after surgery has been studied in 16 papers since 2021: 2 trials and 8 observational studies in people, 4 reviews; 5 in the past year. The newest paper, Oct 22, 2026: “Inflammaging in older patients with cancer undergoing surgery: implications for anesthetic management”.

Intervention

16 papers study it19 findingsUpdated

MeSH

1 new paper in 30 daysSee all 16

“multivariate Cox model identified ERAS as a protective factor with a reduction in the risk of death of 30% (HR = 0.70 [0.50-0.94], p = 0017)”
Association between Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocol, risk factors and 3-year survival after colorectal surgery for cancer in the elderlyAging clinical and experimental research2022doi:10.1007/s40520-022-02270-1

1 of its findings points the other way.

C, W, M, H: cells, worms or flies, mice, humans. Dark: independent labs found the same change there. Light: one lab or one study. Outline: nothing yet.

Labs are independent when their papers share no last author and no institution.

Against: findings that point the other way from most findings on the same outcome.

  • 6 independent labs in 1 country
  • 1 finding against
  • Funders: Shanghai University of Sport and 1 more
  • Human trial2
  • Humans8

What did studies of Enhanced recovery after surgery find?

13

Studies of Enhanced recovery after surgery measured 13 outcomes; the most studied are length of stay (3 studies), pain (2) and activities of daily living (1).

Length of stay

downin humans3

3 studies

  1. Enhanced recovery after surgery decreases length of stay in humans (6.65 ± 1.24 days vs. 7.32 ± 1.62 days, P = 0.001).

    “shorter hospital stays (6.65 ± 1.24 days vs. 7.32 ± 1.62 days; P = 0.001)”

    Humanship fracture surgeryn = 203

    Application effectiveness analysis of multidisciplinary collaboration within the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery concept in elderly patients undergoing hip fracture surgery

    Geriatrics & gerontology international

  2. Enhanced recovery after surgery decreases length of stay in humans (1 day (4.8±1.6 vs. 3.8±1.9 days, p<.0001)).

    “Additionally, length of stay improved by 1 day (4.8±1.6 vs. 3.8±1.9 days, p<.0001).”

    Humansfrail patients undergoing one- or two-level open TLIFn = 32

    Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) improves return of physiological function in frail patients undergoing one- to two-level TLIFs: an observational retrospective cohort study

    The spine journal : official journal of the North American Spine Society

  3. Enhanced recovery after surgery decreases length of stay in humans (p < 0.01).

    “TTS, LOS, and overall complication rate were significantly reduced in the ERAS group compared with the control group (p < 0.01)”

    Reviewhip fracture repair surgeriesn = 9,869

    Enhanced recovery after surgery for hip fractures: a systematic review and meta-analysis

    Perioperative medicine (London, England)

Pain

downin humans1no changein humans1

2 studies

  1. Enhanced recovery after surgery decreases pain in humans.

    “alleviate pain, and significantly shorten the length of hospital stay.”

    Humansundergoing short-segment TLIF

    Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) improves outcomes in elderly patients undergoing short-level lumbar fusion surgery: a retrospective study of 333 cases

    European journal of medical research

  2. Enhanced recovery after surgery has no effect on pain in humans.

    “Total daily intravenous morphine milligram equivalent (MME) as well as average daily pain scores were similar between groups.”

    Humansfrail patients undergoing one- or two-level open TLIFn = 32

    Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) improves return of physiological function in frail patients undergoing one- to two-level TLIFs: an observational retrospective cohort study

    The spine journal : official journal of the North American Spine Society

Activities of daily living

upin humans1

1 study

  1. Enhanced recovery after surgery improves activities of daily living in humans (95 vs. 85, p = 0.017).

    “Secondary care: QT demonstrated superior ADL recovery (95 vs. 85, p = 0.017)”

    Humansby secondary care discharge in SGLT2i-treated patientsn = 48

    Enhanced recovery mitigates sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors associated mobility decline in valve surgery patients

    Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine

Inflammation

downin humans1

1 study

  1. Enhanced recovery after surgery decreases inflammation in humans.

    “improvements were noted in inflammatory markers”

    Humanship fracture surgeryn = 203

    Application effectiveness analysis of multidisciplinary collaboration within the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery concept in elderly patients undergoing hip fracture surgery

    Geriatrics & gerontology international

More on Inflammation

Readmission rate

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1 study

  1. Enhanced recovery after surgery decreases readmission rate in humans.

    “improvements were noted in inflammatory markers and functional outcomes, including subgroup analyses by age, quality-of-life scores and reduced readmission rates within 30 and 90 days.”

    Humanship fracture surgeryn = 203

    Application effectiveness analysis of multidisciplinary collaboration within the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery concept in elderly patients undergoing hip fracture surgery

    Geriatrics & gerontology international

Intraoperative blood loss

downin humans1

1 study

  1. Enhanced recovery after surgery decreases intraoperative blood loss in humans (330.42 ± 45.36 mL vs. 350.75 ± 50.62 mL, P = 0.003).

    “reduced intraoperative blood loss (330.42 ± 45.36 mL vs. 350.75 ± 50.62 mL; P = 0.003)”

    Humanship fracture surgeryn = 203

    Application effectiveness analysis of multidisciplinary collaboration within the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery concept in elderly patients undergoing hip fracture surgery

    Geriatrics & gerontology international

Surgical complications

downin humans1

1 study

  1. Enhanced recovery after surgery decreases surgical complications in humans (13.00% vs. 24.27%, P = 0.040).

    “lowered surgical complication rates (13.00% vs. 24.27%; P = 0.040)”

    Humanship fracture surgeryn = 203

    Application effectiveness analysis of multidisciplinary collaboration within the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery concept in elderly patients undergoing hip fracture surgery

    Geriatrics & gerontology international

Length of hospital stay

downin humans1

1 study

  1. Enhanced recovery after surgery decreases length of hospital stay in humans.

    “and significantly shorten the length of hospital stay.”

    Humansundergoing short-segment TLIF

    Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) improves outcomes in elderly patients undergoing short-level lumbar fusion surgery: a retrospective study of 333 cases

    European journal of medical research

Postoperative complications

downin humans1

1 study

  1. Enhanced recovery after surgery decreases postoperative complications in humans.

    “effectively shorten the recovery time of physiological function in elderly patients after short-segment lumbar surgery, reduce the incidence of some complications, alleviate pain, and significantly shorten the length of hospital stay.”

    Humansundergoing short-segment TLIF

    Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) improves outcomes in elderly patients undergoing short-level lumbar fusion surgery: a retrospective study of 333 cases

    European journal of medical research

Physiological function recovery time

downin humans1

1 study

  1. Enhanced recovery after surgery decreases physiological function recovery time in humans (6.71 ± 2.6 days vs. 8.6 ± 2.67 days, p = 0.01).

    “The overall physiological function recovery was significantly faster (6.71 ± 2.6 days vs. 8.6 ± 2.67 days, p = 0.01) in the ERAS-elder group.”

    Humansundergoing short-segment TLIF

    Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) improves outcomes in elderly patients undergoing short-level lumbar fusion surgery: a retrospective study of 333 cases

    European journal of medical research

All 13

What is Enhanced recovery after surgery linked with?

2

Studies link Enhanced recovery after surgery with 2 measures, most often mortality (2 studies) and postoperative cognitive dysfunction (1).

Mortality

downin humans2OR 0.37

2 studies

  1. Enhanced recovery after surgery lowers the risk of mortality in humans (OR 0.370, 95% CI 0.160-0.854, p = 0.006).

    “Survival was associated with perioperative management according to an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol (OR, 0.370; 95% CI, 0.160-0.854; p = 0.006)”

    Humanselderly cancer patients undergoing major abdominal surgeryn = 378

    Factors Associated with 1-Year Mortality in Elderly Patients (Age ≥ 80 Years) with Cancer Undergoing Major Abdominal Surgery: A Retrospective Cohort Study

    Annals of surgical oncology

  2. Enhanced recovery after surgery lowers the risk of mortality in humans (HR = 0.70 [0.50-0.94], p = 0017).

    “multivariate Cox model identified ERAS as a protective factor with a reduction in the risk of death of 30% (HR = 0.70 [0.50-0.94], p = 0017)”

    Humansafter colorectal surgery for cancern = 661

    Association between Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocol, risk factors and 3-year survival after colorectal surgery for cancer in the elderly

    Aging clinical and experimental research

Postoperative cognitive dysfunction

downin humans1

1 study

  1. Enhanced recovery after surgery lowers the risk of postoperative cognitive dysfunction in humans (from 35% under conventional care to as low as 2.8%).

    “ERAS protocols demonstrate substantial protective effects, reducing POCD incidence from 35% under conventional care to as low as 2.8% in optimized pathways.”

    Reviewcolorectal cancer surgery

    Cognitive Impact of Colorectal Cancer Surgery in Elderly Patients: A Narrative Review

    Cancers

More on Postoperative cognitive dysfunction

Latest

Nov 2025: 0Dec 2025: 1Jan 2026: 1Feb 2026: 1Mar 2026: 1Apr 2026: 0May 2026: 0Jun 2026: 0Jul 2026: 0Aug 2026: 0Sep 2026: 0Oct 2026: 15 papers in 12 months

See all 16

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