Association between use of enhanced recovery after surgery protocols and postoperative complications after gastric surgery for cancer (POWER 4): a nationwide, prospective multicentre study.

INTRODUCTION: The effectiveness of the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols in gastric cancer surgery remains controversial. METHODS: Multicentre prospective cohort study of adult patients undergoing surgery for gastric cancer. Adherence with 22 individual components of ERAS pathways were assessed in all patients, regardless of whether they were treated in a self-designed ERAS centre. Each centre had a three-month recruitment period between October 2019 and September 2020. The primary outcome was moderate-to-severe postoperative complications within 30 days after surgery. Secondary outcomes were overall postoperative complications, adherence to the ERAS pathway, 30 day-mortality and hospital length of stay (LOS). RESULTS: A total of 743 patients in 72 Spanish hospitals were included, 211 of them (28.4 %) from self-declared ERAS centres. A total of 245 patients (33 %) experienced postoperative complications, graded as moderate-to-severe complications in 172 patients (23.1 %). There were no differences in the incidence of moderate-to-severe complications (22.3% vs. 23.5%; OR, 0.92 (95% CI, 0.59 to 1.41); P = 0.068), or overall postoperative complications between the self-declared ERAS and non-ERAS groups (33.6% vs. 32.7%; OR, 1.05 (95 % CI, 0.70 to 1.56); P = 0.825). The overall rate of adherence to the ERAS pathway was 52% [IQR 45 to 60]. There were no differences in postoperative outcomes between higher (Q1, > 60 %) and lower (Q4, ≤ 45 %) ERAS adherence quartiles. CONCLUSIONS: Neither the partial application of perioperative ERAS measures nor treatment in self-designated ERAS centres improved postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing gastric surgery for cancer. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT03865810.

Centenario de la anestesia epidural / Centenary of epidural anaesthesia

En marzo de 2021 celebramos el centenario de la publicación en la Revista Española de Cirugía del artículo de Fidel Pagés MiravéAnestesia metamérica. Para su autor el conocimiento de las técnicas de anestesia intradural de Bier y Tuffier (1889-1900) y la sacra de Gil Vernet (1917-1918) resultó fundamental a la hora de describir la técnica epidural. Su amplia experiencia con heridos de guerra, el amplio dominio del francés y alemán, junto con su profundo conocimiento anatómico, fisiológico y farmacológico, explica la precisión con que descrió la técnica en sus diversas vías de abordaje, la solución anestésica o el instrumental empleado, así como sus posibles complicaciones, indicaciones y contraindicaciones.Cien años después a los anestesiólogos nos gustaría realizar un reconocimiento a Fidel Pagés, por describir una técnica anestésica y analgésica que mejora la vida de las personas.(AU)

March 2021 marked the first centenary of the publication of Fidel Pagés Miravé’s seminal article Anestesia metamérica in the Revista Española de Cirugía. Pagés’ knowledge of Bier and Tuffier's intradural (1889-1900) and Gil Vernet's sacral (1917-1918) techniques played a pivotal role in the development of the epidural anesthesia technique. Fidel Pagés’ extensive experience with treating the casualties of armed conflicts, his proficiency in French and German, and his vast knowledge of anatomy, physiology and pharmacology lie behind the accuracy with which he describes the different approaches, the different anesthetic solutions, or the different instruments used, and the indications, contraindications and complications associated with his technique.In the centenary of his article, we would like to thank Fidel Pagés’ for describing an anesthetic and analgesic technique that has improved the lives of so many patients.(AU)