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World J Gastrointest Surg. Mar 27, 2026; 18(3): 116149
Published online Mar 27, 2026. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.v18.i3.116149
Influence of enhanced recovery after surgery protocol on first exhaust time after laparoscopic resection of colorectal cancer
Xiu-Lian Zhang, Qing-Qi Hong, You-Qing Huang
Xiu-Lian Zhang, Department of Colorectal Tumor Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen 361003, Fujian Province, China
Qing-Qi Hong, Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen 361003, Fujian Province, China
You-Qing Huang, Department of Hepatobiliary, Pancreatic and Vascular Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen 361003, Fujian Province, China
Author contributions: Zhang XL and Hong QQ contributed to study design, patient recruitment, data collection, and data analysis; Zhang XL drafted the manuscript; Huang YQ conceptualized and supervised the study, provided critical revisions, and approved the final manuscript. All authors have read and approved the final version.
Institutional review board statement: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, No.[2023]KY-005.
Informed consent statement: Given the retrospective design of this study and the use of anonymized clinical data, the requirement for informed consent was waived by the Ethics Committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Data sharing statement: The data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. Due to patient privacy and institutional regulations, the raw clinical data cannot be publicly shared.
Corresponding author: You-Qing Huang, Department of Hepatobiliary, Pancreatic and Vascular Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, No. 55 Zhenhai Road, Siming District, Xiamen 361003, Fujian Province, China. 13695002565@163.com
Received: November 18, 2025
Revised: December 10, 2025
Accepted: January 23, 2026
Published online: March 27, 2026
Processing time: 129 Days and 3.5 Hours
Core Tip

Core Tip: Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) may accelerate gastrointestinal recovery after laparoscopic colorectal cancer resection, but time-to-first-flatus is rarely treated as a time-to-event endpoint. In this single-center retrospective cohort (n = 80), an ERAS pathway emphasizing shortened fasting with preoperative carbohydrates, goal-directed fluid therapy, multimodal analgesia, early mobilization, and early enteral nutrition was associated with a markedly earlier first flatus (approximately 1.3 days sooner), faster first defecation and bowel-sound recovery, fewer gastrointestinal symptoms, shorter length of stay (approximately 3.2 days reduction), and fewer complications. Analyses should prioritize survival methods (Kaplan-Meier, Cox/accelerated failure time) and adjust for secular trends and confounding (e.g., calendar month, operative factors, opioid use), with propensity techniques as sensitivity checks. Findings support routine ERAS implementation and adherence monitoring to improve postoperative intestinal function and hospitalization metrics, while acknowledging single-center, time-segmented design limitations.