A comparative study on the efficacy of fast-track surgery in the treatment of esophageal cancer patients combined with metabolic syndrome

ERAS and Gastrointestinal Site Infections: Insights from a Comprehensive Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols are proposed to enhance perioperative care, but their impact on various surgical outcomes requires further insight. Objective: This extensive meta-analysis aimed to systematically estimate the effectiveness of ERAS in reducing postoperative complications and improving recovery metrics. Materials and Methods: We meticulously searched multiple databases and rigorously screened studies, ultimately including 16 high-quality research articles in our meta-analysis. We carefully assessed heterogeneity using the Cochran Q test and I2 index. Results were visualized using forest plots, displaying effect sizes and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: The current meta-analysis reveals compelling evidence of ERAS protocols' impact on postoperative effects. Lung infection rates were significantly reduced, with an odds ratio (OR) of 0.4393 (95% CI: 0.2674; 0.7216, p = 0.0012), highlighting the protocols' effectiveness. Although the reduction in surgical site infections (SSIs) was not significant, with an OR of 0.8003 (95% CI: 0.3908; 1.6389, p = 0.5425), the data suggests a trend toward benefit. Urinary tract infections (UTI) also showed a promising decrease, with an OR of 0.4754 (95% CI: 0.2028; 1.1143, p = 0.0871), revealing ERAS protocols may mitigate UTI risks. No significant effects were observed on postoperative anastomotic leakage or ileus, with ORs indicating neutrality. The incidence of readmission was similarly unaffected, with an OR of 1.4018 (95% CI: 0.6860; 2.8647, p = 0.3543). These outcomes underscore the selective efficacy of ERAS protocols, advocating for their strategic implementation to optimize surgical recovery. Conclusions: This meta-analysis offers compelling evidence supporting the implementation of ERAS in mitigating specific post-surgical conditions. It underscores the potential of ERAS to enhance recovery experiences and improve healthcare efficiency. Further targeted research is warranted to fully understand the impact of ERAS on SSI, anastomotic leakage, ileus, and readmissions and to optimize its benefits across diverse surgical populations.

A Systematic Review of Proteomics in Obesity: Unpacking the Molecular Puzzle

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The present study aims to review the existing literature to identify pathophysiological proteins in obesity by conducting a systematic review of proteomics studies. Proteomics may reveal the mechanisms of obesity development and clarify the links between obesity and related diseases, improving our comprehension of obesity and its clinical implications.

RECENT FINDINGS

Most of the molecular events implicated in obesity development remain incomplete. Proteomics stands as a powerful tool for elucidating the intricate interactions among proteins in the context of obesity. This methodology has the potential to identify proteins involved in pathological processes and to evaluate changes in protein abundance during obesity development, contributing to the identification of early disease predisposition, monitoring the effectiveness of interventions and improving disease management overall. Despite many non-targeted proteomic studies exploring obesity, a comprehensive and up-to-date systematic review of the molecular events implicated in obesity development is lacking. The lack of such a review presents a significant challenge for researchers trying to interpret the existing literature. This systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines and included sixteen human proteomic studies, each of which delineated proteins exhibiting significant alterations in obesity. A total of 41 proteins were reported to be altered in obesity by at least two or more studies. These proteins were involved in metabolic pathways, oxidative stress responses, inflammatory processes, protein folding, coagulation, as well as structure/cytoskeleton. Many of the identified proteomic biomarkers of obesity have also been reported to be dysregulated in obesity-related disease. Among them, seven proteins, which belong to metabolic pathways (aldehyde dehydrogenase and apolipoprotein A1), the chaperone family (albumin, heat shock protein beta 1, protein disulfide-isomerase A3) and oxidative stress and inflammation proteins (catalase and complement C3), could potentially serve as biomarkers for the progression of obesity and the development of comorbidities, contributing to personalized medicine in the field of obesity. Our systematic review in proteomics represents a substantial step forward in unravelling the complexities of protein alterations associated with obesity. It provides valuable insights into the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying obesity, thereby opening avenues for the discovery of potential biomarkers and the development of personalized medicine in obesity.

The effects of enhanced recovery after surgery on wound infection, complications, and postoperative hospital stay in patients undergoing colorectal surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis

This study aimed to systematically evaluate the effects of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) on surgical site infections, postoperative complications, and length of hospital stay in patients undergoing colorectal surgery. A comprehensive search was conducted of PubMed, Web of Science, Ovid, EMBASE, The Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wanfang Data from database inception to April 2023 to identify relevant studies on the application of ERAS in colorectal surgery. Studies were screened, and data were extracted based on predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4 software. A total of 22 studies, including 3702 patients (ERAS group: 1906; control group: 1796), were included in the final analysis. ERAS significantly reduced the incidence of surgical site infection (odds ratio [OR]: 0.49, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.34-0.69, p < 0.001), postoperative complications (OR: 0.33, 95% CI: 0.27-0.41, p < 0.001), and length of hospital stay (standardised mean difference: -1.22 days, 95% CI: -1.66 to -0.77 days, p < 0.001). These findings suggest that ERAS reduces the incidence of surgical site infections and postoperative complications and shortens the length of hospital stay in patients undergoing colorectal surgery. Therefore, ERAS should be promoted and applied in clinical practice.

Perioperative nutrition for gastrointestinal surgery: On the cutting edge

Evidence on perioperative nutrition interventions in gastrointestinal surgery is rapidly evolving. We conducted a narrative review of various aspects of nutrition support, including formula choice and route of administration, as well as duration and timing of nutrition support therapy. Studies have demonstrated that nutrition support is associated with improved clinical outcomes in malnourished patients and those at nutrition risk, emphasizing the importance of nutrition assessment, for which several validated nutrition risk assessment tools exist. The assessment of serum albumin levels has fallen out of favor, as it is an unreliable marker of nutrition status, whereas imaging evidence of sarcopenia has prognostic value and may emerge as a standard component of nutrition assessment. Preoperatively, evidence supports limiting fasting to reduce insulin resistance and improve oral tolerance. Benefits to preoperative carbohydrate loading remain unclear, whereas literature suggests preoperative parenteral nutrition (PN) may reduce postoperative complications in high-risk patients with malnutrition or sarcopenia. Postoperatively, early oral feeding is safe with benefits in time to return of bowel function and reduced hospital stay. There is a signal for potential benefit to early postoperative PN in critically ill patients, though evidence is sparse. There has also been a recent emergence in randomized studies evaluating the use of ω-3 fatty acids, amino acids, and immunonutrition. Meta-analyses have reported favorable outcomes for these supplements, though individual studies are small and with significant methodological limitations and risk of bias, emphasizing the need for high-quality randomized studies to guide clinical practice.

Association of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery of Great Britain and Ireland (AUGIS)/Perioperative Quality Initiative (POQI) consensus statement on intraoperative and postoperative interventions to reduce pulmonary complications after oesophagectomy

BACKGROUND

Pulmonary complications are the most common morbidity after oesophagectomy, contributing to mortality and prolonged postoperative recovery, and have a negative impact on health-related quality of life. A variety of single or bundled interventions in the perioperative setting have been developed to reduce the incidence of pulmonary complications. Significant variation in practice exists across the UK. The aim of this modified Delphi consensus was to deliver clear evidence-based consensus recommendations regarding intraoperative and postoperative care that may reduce pulmonary complications after oesophagectomy.

METHODS

With input from a multidisciplinary group of 23 experts in the perioperative management of patients undergoing surgery for oesophageal cancer, a modified Delphi method was employed. Following an initial systematic review of relevant literature, a range of anaesthetic, surgical, and postoperative care interventions were identified. These were then discussed during a two-part virtual conference. Recommendation statements were drafted, refined, and agreed by all attendees. The level of evidence supporting each statement was considered.

RESULTS

Consensus was reached on 12 statements on topics including operative approach, pyloric drainage strategies, intraoperative fluid and ventilation strategies, perioperative analgesia, postoperative feeding plans, and physiotherapy interventions. Seven additional questions concerning the perioperative management of patients undergoing oesophagectomy were highlighted to guide future research.

CONCLUSION

Clear consensus recommendations regarding intraoperative and postoperative interventions that may reduce pulmonary complications after oesophagectomy are presented.

Early versus the traditional start of oral intake following esophagectomy for esophageal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Nil by mouth is considered the standard of care during the first days following esophagectomy. However, with the routine implementation of enhanced recovery after surgery, early oral intake is more likely to be the preferred mode of nutrition following esophagectomy. The present study aims to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of early oral intake following esophagectomy for esophageal cancer.

METHODS

Comprehensive literature searches were conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library. Weighted mean differences (WMD) and odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated as the effect sizes for continuous and dichotomous variables, respectively.

RESULTS

Fourteen studies with a total of 1947 patients were included. Length of hospital stay (WMD =  - 3.94, CI: - 4.98 to - 2.90; P < 0.001), the time to first flatus (WMD =  - 1.13, CI: - 1.25 to - 1.01; P < 0.001) and defecation (WMD =  - 1.26, CI: - 1.82 to - 0.71; P < 0.001) favored the early oral intake group. There was no statistically significant difference in mortality (OR = 1.23, CI: 0.45 to 3.36; P = 0.69). Early oral intake also did not increase the risk of pneumonia and overall postoperative complications.

CONCLUSIONS

Current evidence indicates early oral intake following esophagectomy seems to be safe and effective. It may be the preferred mode of nutrition following esophagectomy. However, more high-quality studies are still needed to further validate this conclusion.

Enhanced recovery after surgery improves short-term outcomes in patients undergoing esophagectomy

BACKGROUND

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) is a perioperative management protocol that aims to accelerate patient recovery. This study aimed to evaluate its benefits in patients with resectable esophageal cancer.

METHODS

This retrospective study compared patients before (January 2013 to December 2016) and after (June 2018 to December 2020) ERAS protocol implementation in our hospital. A propensity score-matched (PSM) analysis was used to compare short-term surgical outcomes between ERAS and non-ERAS groups. After PSM, each group included 243 patients.

RESULTS

There were significant differences in hospital length of stay after surgery (7.40 vs. 11.17 days, P<.001) and hospitalization cost (¥69380 vs. ¥78075, P<.001) between the ERAS and non-ERAS groups. The time to chest tube removal (4.91 vs. 7.16 days, P<.001) and first bowel movement (2.87 vs. 3.97 days, P<.001) was significantly shorter in the ERAS group. However, there was no significant difference in total postoperative complication morbidity (20.2% vs. 25.1%, P=0.193). The complication of postoperative atelectasis or pneumonia was significantly lower in the ERAS group (P=0.003), but there was no significant difference in occurrence of ≥Grade III complications between the two groups (12.3% vs. 11.5%, P=0.889).

CONCLUSIONS

We demonstrated that ERAS could reduce the hospital stay, numerical pain scores, and hospitalization costs without increasing postoperative complication and readmission. Furthermore, subgroup analyses revealed that ERAS was safe for older people (>70 years old).

Perioperative nursing principles guided by the concept of enhanced recovery after surgery†

Objective

To explore the clinical effect of perioperative nursing guided by the concept of enhanced recovery after surgery and summarize them.

Methods

Pubmed, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), Wanfang Database, and VIP Database were searched to obtain the relevant literature involving enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) guidance, obtain the effective clinical data, review the reports in literature, and obtain the effective scheme.

Results

Compared with the traditional nursing program, perioperative nursing principles guided by the concept of ERAS provide more accurate nursing care to patients and reduce the occurrence of intraoperative stress events through comprehensive nursing measures such as preoperative pre-rehabilitation measures, intraoperative body temperature and fluid management, postoperative analgesia, prevention of nausea and vomiting, early mobilization, catheter nursing, and better out-of-hospital follow-up.

Conclusions

Perioperative nursing principles guided by the concept of ERAS can significantly reduce the incidence of perioperative complications, shorten the hospital stay of patients, and promote postoperative rehabilitation of patients. The transformation and implementation of this concept can bring significant benefits to hospitals, medical care, and patients.

The application of enhanced recovery after surgery for upper gastrointestinal surgery: Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Although enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) has made great progress in the field of surgery, the guidelines point to the lack of high-quality evidence in upper gastrointestinal surgery.

METHODS

Randomized controlled trials in four electronic databases that involved ERAS protocols for upper gastrointestinal surgery were searched through December 12, 2018. The primary endpoints were lung infection, urinary tract infection, surgical site infection, postoperative anastomotic leakage and ileus. The secondary endpoints were postoperative length of stay, the time from end of surgery to first flatus and defecation, and readmission rates. Subgroup analysis was performed based on the type of surgery.

RESULTS

A total of 17 studies were included. The results of the meta-analysis indicate that there was a decrease in rates of lung infection (RR = 0.50, 95%CI: 0.33 to 0.75), postoperative length of stay (MD = -2.53, 95%CI: - 3.42 to - 1.65), time until first postoperative flatus (MD = -0.64, 95%CI: - 0.84 to - 0.45) and time until first postoperative defecation (MD = -1.10, 95%CI: - 1.74 to - 0.47) in patients who received ERAS, compared to conventional care. However, other outcomes were not significant difference. There was no significant difference between ERAS and conventional care in rates of urinary tract infection (P = 0.10), surgical site infection (P = 0.42), postoperative anastomotic leakage (P = 0.45), readmissions (P = 0.31) and ileus (P = 0.25).

CONCLUSIONS

ERAS protocols can reduce the risk of postoperative lung infection and accelerating patient recovery time. Nevertheless, we should also consider further research ERAS should be performed undergoing gastrectomy and esophagectomy.

The efficacy and safety of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) program in laparoscopic digestive system surgery: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND

The enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) program has been applied to a variety of surgeries. However, the efficacy and safety of the ERAS program in laparoscopic digestive system surgery remain unclear. We conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the ERAS program and traditional perioperative care (TPC) in laparoscopic digestive system surgery.

METHODS

We searched five electronic databases for eligible trials. STATA version 14.0 and Revman version 5.3 were used to analyze the data. The results were presented and analyzed by weighted mean difference (WMD) and risk ratio (RR) at their 95% confidence interval (CI).

RESULTS

Twenty-five randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of 2219 patients were included in our meta-analysis. The results revealed that the postoperative hospital stay (PHS) (WMD: 2.13 day, 95% CI: 2.56 to -1.70, p = 0.000), time to first flatus (WMD: 12.68 h, 95% CI: 15.95 to -9.41, p = 0.000), and time to defecation (WMD: 34.35 h, 95% CI: 46.82 to -21.88, p = 0.000) were significantly shorter in the ERAS group compared to the TPC group. Additionally, the overall postoperative complication rate (RR: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.49 to 0.88, p = 0.000) was markedly lower in patients using the ERAS program.

CONCLUSION

The results indicated that the ERAS program is associated with faster postoperative rehabilitation, shorter PHS, and better postoperative complication rates. The use of the ERAS program for laparoscopic digestive system surgery is more effective and safe than TPC, and it should be recommended. (PROSPERO registration number:CRD42018118551).

Impact of early enteral nutrition on intestinal mucosal barrier and nutrition status in advanced esophageal cancer patients undergoing synchronous chemoradiotherapy

AIM

To evaluate the effect of early enteral nutrition on intestinal mucosal barrier and nutrition status in advanced esophageal cancer patients undergoing synchronous chemoradiotherapy.

METHODS

Ninety-two advanced esophageal cancer patients undergoing synchronous chemoradiotherapy from July 2015 to October 2016 were divided into an intervention group and a control group. The control group was given routine diet or intravenous nutrition support, and the intervention group was given early enteral nutrition support. One month after treatment, intestinal mucosal barrier, serum nutrition indexes, and short-term efficacy were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

Serum endotoxin, diamine oxidase, and D-lactic acid were significantly lower in the intervention group than in the control group (10.24 ± 2.12 EU/L vs 15.45 ± 3.21 EU/L, 5.65 ± 0.82 U/L vs 8.05 ± 1.35 U/L, 0.29 ± 0.07 μmol/L vs 0.35 ± 0.08 μmol/L; t = 9.186, 10.306, 3.828; P < 0.05 or 0.01). Serum albumin, prealbumin, and transferrin were significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group (32.41 ± 4.35 g/L vs 28.45 ± 4.32 g/L, 0.26 ± 0.0 g/L vs 0.19 ± 0.06 g/L, 1.82 ± 0.36 vs 1.45 ± 0.32; t = 4.381, 4.748, 5.210; P < 0.05). Remission rate and control rate were significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group (80.43% vs 60.87%, 91.30% vs 76.09%; χ² = 4.246, 3.903; P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Early enteral nutrition support can help improve the short-term efficacy in advanced esophageal cancer patients undergoing synchronous chemoradiotherapy, which may be related to protecting intestinal mucosal barrier function and improving the nutritional status.