Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Protocol in Transoral Robotic Surgery: A Case-Control Study

'Enhanced Recovery After Surgery' (ERAS) protocols have been developed for multiple surgical procedures with favourable outcome measures including Length of Stay (LoS). Trans-Oral Robotic Surgery (TORS) has similarly facilitated earlier patient discharges, particularly in comparison to open head and neck surgical techniques. There is a dearth of literature on the effect of ERAS protocols in TORS. We sought to comprehensively examine the effect of a TORS ERAS protocol across several key metrics, with a focus on LoS.

We conducted a retrospective cohort study following implementation of a TORS ERAS protocol. This protocol was developed at our institution and implemented in 2021; it included key features such as pharyngocutaneous risk stratification and thorough perioperative assessments. Patients managed prior to (p-ERAS) and post implementation (w-ERAS) were separated into two groups, with key outcomes, including LoS, estimated cost per patient, return to swallow, and complication rate, compared.

A total of 40 TORS cases were included. Patients managed w-ERAS had a mean adherence rate to protocol of 90%. The w-ERAS group showed a statistically significant reduction in median length of stay by 3.5 days (p = 0.03) when compared to the p-ERAS group. There was also a trend towards decreased median cost per patient as well as decreased median time to oral intake.

Our study demonstrates an easily implementable protocol for the perioperative management of TORS oncological surgery. The use of this ERAS protocol demonstrated a significant reduction in patient length of stay in a small sample size.