Li XN, Zhang CX, He Q, Xue JM. Effect of enhanced recovery after surgery-based early mobilization on gastrointestinal recovery after intestinal tuberculosis surgery. World J Gastrointest Surg 2026; 18(8): 117895 [DOI: 10.4240/wjgs.117895]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Juan-Min Xue, MD, Senior Department of Tuberculosis, Chinese PLA General Hospital, No. 17 Heishanhu Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100091, China. 13581660809@163.com
Research Domain of This Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
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research-article
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Li XN, Zhang CX, He Q, Xue JM. Effect of enhanced recovery after surgery-based early mobilization on gastrointestinal recovery after intestinal tuberculosis surgery. World J Gastrointest Surg 2026; 18(8): 117895 [DOI: 10.4240/wjgs.117895]
World J Gastrointest Surg. Aug 27, 2026; 18(8): 117895 Published online Aug 27, 2026. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.117895
Effect of enhanced recovery after surgery-based early mobilization on gastrointestinal recovery after intestinal tuberculosis surgery
Xia-Nan Li, Cai-Xia Zhang, Qian He, Juan-Min Xue
Xia-Nan Li, Juan-Min Xue, Senior Department of Tuberculosis, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100091, China
Cai-Xia Zhang, Department of Outpatient and Day Care Unit, The Eighth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100091, China
Qian He, Department of General Surgery, The Eighth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100091, China
Co-first authors: Xia-Nan Li and Cai-Xia Zhang.
Co-corresponding authors: Qian He and Juan-Min Xue.
Author contributions: Li XN and Zhang CX are co-first authors. Li XN designed the study, performed statistical analysis, and drafted the manuscript; Zhang CX coordinated data collection and contributed to manuscript writing, and provided surgical expertise and critically revised the manuscript; He Q assisted with data curation, participated in the interpretation of surgical outcomes, and reviewed the manuscript for important intellectual content; Xue JM supervised the study and approved the final version. He Q and Xue JM are co-corresponding authors.
Institutional review board statement: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Chinese PLA General Hospital (Eighth Medical Center) (Approval No. S-2026-006-01) and conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.
Informed consent statement: The requirement for written informed consent was waived by the Ethics Committee due to the retrospective design of the study. All data were anonymized prior to analysis.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Data sharing statement: The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Corresponding author: Juan-Min Xue, MD, Senior Department of Tuberculosis, Chinese PLA General Hospital, No. 17 Heishanhu Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100091, China. 13581660809@163.com
Received: January 27, 2026 Revised: March 1, 2026 Accepted: April 7, 2026 Published online: August 27, 2026 Processing time: 199 Days and 16.1 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Intestinal tuberculosis is the most common form of abdominal tuberculosis, and surgical intervention is required when complications arise or conservative treatment fails. Postoperative gastrointestinal function recovery in these patients is often delayed, increasing complication rates and hospital stays. Early mobilization based on enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) principles has shown benefits in various gastrointestinal surgeries, yet its application in intestinal tuberculosis surgery remains insufficiently studied.
AIM
To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of an early mobilization protocol based on ERAS principles on postoperative gastrointestinal function recovery in patients undergoing intestinal tuberculosis surgery.
METHODS
Clinical data from 102 patients who underwent intestinal tuberculosis surgery at our hospital between July 2018 and February 2025 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into two groups based on postoperative rehabilitation protocols: Control group (n = 51, receiving traditional postoperative rehabilitation protocol) and intervention group (n = 51, receiving early mobilization protocol based on ERAS principles). Gastrointestinal function recovery indicators (time to first flatus, time to first defecation, time to bowel sound recovery, etc.), postoperative mobilization-related indicators, quality of life and functional status assessment, pain management-related indicators, and complication rates were compared between the two groups.
RESULTS
Baseline characteristics were comparable between the two groups (P > 0.05). Compared with the control group, the intervention group demonstrated significantly shorter time to first flatus, time to first defecation, time to bowel sound recovery, and time to first ambulation (all P < 0.01). The modified Barthel Index and Karnofsky Performance Status scores on postoperative days 3 and 7 were higher in the intervention group than in the control group (all P < 0.05). Visual Analog Scale pain scores at all time points were lower in the intervention group compared with the control group, with reduced analgesic medication consumption (all P < 0.05). The overall complication rate showed no statistical difference between the two groups (P > 0.05).
CONCLUSION
The early mobilization protocol based on ERAS principles can safely and effectively promote postoperative gastrointestinal function recovery in patients undergoing intestinal tuberculosis surgery, improve patient mobilization tolerance and quality of life, optimize pain management, without increasing postoperative complication rates.
Core Tip: This study provides the first evidence supporting the safety and effectiveness of enhanced recovery after surgery-based early mobilization in intestinal tuberculosis surgery. Despite the unique challenges of chronic inflammation, malnutrition, and anastomotic healing concerns in this population, the structured early mobilization protocol significantly accelerated gastrointestinal function recovery, improved functional status, and reduced pain without increasing complications, suggesting that enhanced recovery after surgery principles can be safely extended to infectious gastrointestinal surgical pathologies.
