Introduction: In the past two decades, Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) pathways for adults have improved efficiency of care and decreased length of stay (LOS) without increasing postoperative complications. The effects of enhanced recovery pathways for children are less well known. In this retrospective cohort study, we evaluated the effects of an enhanced recovery protocol (ERP) implementation in children undergoing colorectal surgery.
Methods: We introduced a colorectal ERP in 2017. Children and young adults (ages 2-22 years) were divided into pre-intervention (2014–2016) and post-intervention groups (2017–2019) for analysis. We abstracted data, including demographics, primary surgery, LOS, postoperative pain scores, and postoperative complications.
Results: A total of 432 patients were included. Of those,148 (34%) were pre-ERP implementation and 284 (66%) were post-ERP implementation. Post-ERP patients experienced significantly shorter LOS (5.7 vs. 8.3 days, p
