Abstract
Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols have transformed care in bariatric surgery, leading to faster recovery and shorter hospital stay. This study evaluates the impact of ERAS protocols on laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (SG) and one anastomosis gastric bypass (OAGB), focusing on key elements such as length of stay (LOS), postoperative complications, and readmission rates. A retrospective data analysis was conducted on patients who underwent SG or OAGB under an ERAS protocol from 2021 to 2024 evaluating a total of 181 patients in both groups. Data on LOS, complications, and readmissions were collected and compared between the two groups. The results indicate that the implementation of ERAS protocols significantly reduces LOS for both SG and OAGB patients, with average reductions of 1.2 days and 1.5 days, respectively. Additionally, the complication rates and readmission rates were found to be lower in patients undergoing these procedures with ERAS protocols compared to historical controls (Kehlet in Br J Anaesth 78:606-617, 1997; Stenberg et al. in World J Surg 46:729-751, 2022). This study highlights the effectiveness of ERAS in optimising recovery and reducing hospital costs in bariatric surgery. In the UK, only about 50% of bariatric units use a formal Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) pathway. Using these protocols is important for improving patient outcomes by reducing complications and shortening hospital stays (Stenberg et al. in World J Surg 46:729-751, 2022).