Effect of Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS) Protocol on Length of Hospital Stay in Head and Neck Cancer Surgery: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols reduce surgical stress and improve perioperative outcomes. Evidence supporting ERAS in head and neck oncology remains limited. This study evaluated the impact of a structured ERAS pathway on perioperative outcomes in adult patients undergoing head and neck cancer surgery. In this prospective quasi-experimental study, perioperative outcomes were compared in patients undergoing head and neck cancer surgery before and after implementation of an ERAS protocol at a tertiary care cancer centre. Adult patients received either conventional perioperative care (C-CAP; n = 115) or an ERAS pathway (E-CAP; n = 116). The primary outcome was length of hospital stay (LOHS). Secondary outcomes included intensive care unit (ICU) stay, postoperative complications (graded by the Clavien–Dindo classification), and 30-day readmission. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) adjusted for prespecified covariates. ERAS was associated with a significantly reduced LOHS (adjusted mean difference 2.48 days; 95 www.ctri.nic.in ) dated 30 March 2022.