Feasibility of ERAS guidelines for cytoreductive surgery with or without hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS-HIPEC): An international multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols aim to optimize perioperative care and improve recovery after major surgery. While ERAS pathways are well established in several oncologic disciplines, their feasibility and consistency in the setting of cytoreductive surgery, with or without hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS ± HIPEC), remain uncertain due to the complexity and heterogeneity of these procedures.

METHODS: A prospective multicenter observational study was conducted across 10 expert CRS-HIPEC centers to assess the feasibility and real-world implementation of the ERAS Society guidelines for cytoreductive surgery, with or without hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy. Perioperative practices were compared before (PRE-ERAS) and after (POST-ERAS) structured ERAS guideline implementation. ERAS adherence, clinical outcomes, and predictors of 90-day postoperative complications and prolonged length of stay were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression models. In addition, a predefined subgroup analysis compared outcomes between ovarian and non-ovarian primary tumors.

RESULTS: Between 2021 and 2022, 497 patients were included (PRE-ERAS: 288; POST-ERAS: 209). Baseline characteristics were similar except for more ovarian primaries in POST-ERAS (26.4% vs 44%, p = 0.004). POST-ERAS patients showed higher adherence to anemia screening (60% vs 69%, p = 0.042), carbohydrate loading (4% vs 30%, p < 0.001), and NSAIDs use (26% vs 53%, p < 0.001). Overall ERAS adherence remained stable (median 67%). Complication rates were unchanged, but LOS decreased (13 vs 11 days, p < 0.001) while readmissions increased (11% vs 34%, p < 0.001). Carbohydrate loading (OR 0.29, 95% CI 0.08-0.98, p = 0.048), epidural analgesia (OR 0.39, 95% CI 0.16-0.87, p = 0.025), and >70% ERAS adherence (OR 0.19, 95% CI 0.06-0.54, p = 0.003) predicted fewer complications. Ovarian primary (OR 0.50, 95% CI 0.28-0.87, p = 0.016), >70% adherence (OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.12-0.82, p = 0.025), and POST-ERAS status (OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.37-0.99, p = 0.046) correlated with shorter LOS.

CONCLUSION: ERAS implementation for CRS ± HIPEC shortened hospital stay but remained incomplete and was associated with increased readmissions, without reducing complication rates. These findings highlight the need to focus on a pragmatic set of high-impact ERAS elements to improve feasibility in complex cytoreductive surgery.