©Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2026. No commercial re-use. See Permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
World J Gastrointest Surg. Feb 27, 2026; 18(2): 115050
Published online Feb 27, 2026. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.v18.i2.115050
Published online Feb 27, 2026. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.v18.i2.115050
Enhanced recovery after surgery pathways and postoperative gastrointestinal function in colorectal cancer: A prospective cohort study
Bai-Hui Zhao, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, Zhejiang Province, China
Bai-Hui Zhao, Chun-Xiao Bao, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Shaoxing Central Hospital, Shaoxing 312030, Zhejiang Province, China
Author contributions: Zhao BH conceived and designed the study, supervised data collection, and drafted the manuscript; Bao CX contributed to patient recruitment, clinical data acquisition, and statistical analysis. Both authors participated in data interpretation, manuscript revision, and approved the final version for publication; Zhao BH is the guarantor of the work and takes full responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the analysis.
Institutional review board statement: This study has been reviewed and approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Zhejiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Clinical trial registration statement: This study was conducted prospectively. According to the characteristics of the study design, it was not registered in a clinical trial registry prior to initiation.
Informed consent statement: All study participants, or their legal guardian, provided informed written consent prior to study enrollment.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
CONSORT 2010 statement: The authors have read the CONSORT 2010 Statement, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CONSORT 2010 Statement-checklist of items.
Data sharing statement: There is no additional data available.
Corresponding author: Chun-Xiao Bao, MD, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Shaoxing Central Hospital, No. 1 Huayu Road, Keqiao District, Shaoxing 312030, Zhejiang Province, China. baocx1197@163.com
Received: November 4, 2025
Revised: December 3, 2025
Accepted: December 22, 2025
Published online: February 27, 2026
Processing time: 113 Days and 22.1 Hours
Revised: December 3, 2025
Accepted: December 22, 2025
Published online: February 27, 2026
Processing time: 113 Days and 22.1 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) pathways integrated with structured rehabilitation training significantly accelerate postoperative gastrointestinal function recovery in patients undergoing colorectal cancer surgery. This prospective cohort study showed that ERAS reduced the time to first exhaustion and defecation, lowered pain scores, decreased postoperative complications, and improved quality of life across the physical, emotional, and gastrointestinal domains. These findings show the clinical and rehabilitative value of combining ERAS protocols with targeted rehabilitation strategies to optimize postoperative recovery and promote evidence-based, patient-centred perioperative management.