[Feasibility and Safety of Enhanced Recovery after Surgery for Elderly Patients with Colorectal Cancer]

Objective To evaluate the feasibility and safety of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) in elderly patients with colorectal cancer (CRC).Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 230 CRC patients undergoing ERAS from January 2017 to January 2018. These subjects included 120 young patients (<70 years) and 110 elderly patients (≥70 years).The rates of ERAS compliance,anastomotic leakage,re-operation,and re-hospitalization,the mortality,and the average hospital stay were compared between these two groups.Results The elderly group had significantly higher incidences including diabetes (20.9% vs. 10.8%,P=0.045),heart disease (24.5% vs. 11.7%,P=0.039),respiratory diseases (20.0% vs. 10.0%,P=0.041),and hypertension (26.4% vs. 15.0%,P=0.035) than the young group. However,these two groups were not statistically significant in terms of ERAS compliance rate (79% in the young group vs. 74% in the elderly group,P=0.574),incidence of anastomotic leakage (2.5% vs. 1.8%,P=1.000),re-operation rate (1.7% vs. 2.7%,P=0.672),re-hospitalization rate (2.5% vs. 4.5%,P=0.484),mortality rate within 30 days after operation (1.7% vs. 2.7%,P=0.672). The average hospital stay was 5 days in the young group and 7 days in the elderly group (P=0.000).Conclusions Although the elderly patients tend to have poor general status,their ERAS compliance rate and main treatment indicators including incidence of anastomotic leakage,re-operation rate,re-hospitalization rate,and mortality rate within 30 days after surgery are not different from young patients. Thus,the ERAS program is safe and feasible for elderly CRC patients.