Short-Term Outcomes of Colorectal Resection for Cancer in Elderly in the Era of Enhanced Recovery.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Early rehabilitation protocols should be assessed in elderly. We aimed to study the outcomes of colorectal surgery and the observance of the modalities of an early rehabilitation protocol in patients over 80 years. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All consecutive patients who underwent surgery for colorectal cancer in our center over a 19-month period were included. All of these patients were managed using the same early rehabilitation protocol. Patients older than 80 were compared to younger patients. RESULTS: A total of 173 patients were included and 36 were ≥80 years (20.8%). Patients aged ≥80 years had a significantly higher ASA score and were operated on in emergency. In the peroperative period, patients aged ≥80 years were more likely to undergo laparotomy than patients <80 years in univariate analysis (p = 0.048), but in multivariate analysis, the choice for a laparoscopy was influenced by ASA score ≤2 (odds ratio = 3.55, 95% confidence interval = 1.67-7.58) and emergency surgery (odds ratio = 0.18, 95% confidence interval = 0.06-0.50). In the postoperative period, peristalsis stimulation and vascular catheter ablation were significantly better followed in Group 1 (p = 0.012 and 0.031). However, in multivariate analysis, age was not significantly associated with these parameters. Peristalsis stimulation was influenced by ASA score ≥2 (odds ratio = 4.27, 95% confidence interval = 1.18-15.37) and vascular catheter ablation was also influenced by ASA score ≤2 (odds ratio = 2.63, 95% confidence interval = 1.33-5.21). Emergency surgery had a strong trend to influence these parameters (p = 0.08). CONCLUSION: Although age or comorbidities may affect observance for certain modalities such as chewing gum use and vascular catheter ablation, an early rehabilitation protocol can be used after colorectal cancer surgery in patients ≥80 years old, where it would improve functional results and postoperative outcomes.

Does enhanced recovery reduce postoperative ileus after colorectal surgery?

INTRODUCTION: While enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) has been proven to improve results in colorectal operations with regard to morbidity and duration of hospital stay, its impact on recovery of bowel motility is poorly documented. The aims of this study were to assess the impact of ERAS on bowel motility recovery, and to assess the consequences of the definition of postoperative ileus on its reported incidence in the literature. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a single-center prospective observational study of consecutive patients who underwent colorectal resection with anastomosis over a period of 17 months. Global resumption of intestinal transit (GROT) was defined as passage of stool combined with alimentary tolerance of solid food. RESULTS: One hundred and thirty-one patients were included. A median of 14 items (range: 13-16) was complied out of 19 observable items in the protocol. Median time to passage of flatus (MTPF) was 2 days and the GROT was 3 days. The time interval to MTPF as well as to GROT decreased as adherence to the ERAS protocol increased (respectively P<0.001, r2=0.11 and P=0.04, r2=0.06). The incidence of postoperative "ileus" varied from 1.5% to 61.8% depending on the interval chosen to define ileus (cut-off from 1 to 7 days). Adherence to≥85% of the items in the ERAS protocol protected patients from "prolonged ileus", i.e., lasting≥4 days (OR=0.35; 95% CI=0.15 to 0.83). CONCLUSION: The implementation of and compliance with an ERAS protocol allowed a reduction in the time to GROT. There is a need for a consensual definition of postoperative ileus.