TITLE:
Single‑Center Evidence that ERAS Reduces Length of Stay and Hospital Costs after Laparoscopic Colectomy for Colon Cancer
AUTHORS:
Mei Zeng, Yanrui Ren
KEYWORDS:
Enhanced Recovery after Surgery, Laparoscopy, Colon Cancer, Length of Stay, Hospital Cost, Perioperative Care
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Biosciences and Medicines,
Vol.13 No.10,
September
30,
2025
ABSTRACT: Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) pathways integrate evidence-based perioperative practices to attenuate surgical stress and accelerate functional recovery; however, their real-world impact on length of stay and hospital cost after laparoscopic colectomy remains of practical interest. To evaluate the clinical and economic value of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) in laparoscopic colectomy for colon cancer, focusing on postoperative length of stay (LOS) and total hospital cost, and to interpret these outcomes in light of recovery milestones. In this single-center controlled study, consecutive patients undergoing laparoscopic radical colectomy between September 2023 and October 2024 were managed either by an ERAS pathway (n = 53) or conventional perioperative care (n = 47). The primary outcomes were postoperative LOS and total hospital cost. Secondary outcomes included time to first semi-liquid diet, time to first flatus, time to first bowel movement, and time to first ambulation. Group comparisons used t-tests or Wilcoxon rank-sum tests as appropriate; mean differences with 95% confidence intervals and standardized effect sizes (Hedges g) were calculated. Compared with conventional care, the ERAS group had a shorter LOS ((7.94 ± 1.73) days vs (10.72 ± 2.72) days; mean difference −2.78 days, 95% CI −3.70 to −1.86; g ≈ −1.23) and lower total hospital cost ((5.16 ± 0.69) × 10,000 RMB vs (5.57 ± 0.99) × 10,000 RMB; mean difference −0.41 × 10,000 RMB, 95% CI −0.75 to −0.07; g ≈ −0.48). Recovery milestones improved significantly with ERAS: first semi-liquid diet 4 (4, 5) vs 6 (5, 6) days; first flatus 2 (2, 3) vs 3 (3, 4) days; first bowel movement 5 (4, 5) vs 6 (6, 7) days; first ambulation 2 (1, 2) vs 3 (2, 3) days (all P