The majority of this literature derives from the study of patients undergoing colorectal surgery , but increasingly enhanced recovery is spreading to other surgical specialties .
The combination of reduced length of hospital stay ( a surrogate for morbidity ) with no increase in readmissions to hospital suggests that morbidity is reduced with enhanced recovery .
Inconsistency in morbidity reporting limits the value of pooling data between studies , but within study comparisons in general support this conclusion .
Patients adhering to an  enhanced recovery programme  return to normal function faster than those following traditional care pathways .
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The aim of this review is to summarize important publications in  enhanced recovery during 2010 - 2011 and to highlight key themes .
A systematic review of enhanced recovery protocols in colorectal surgery.
INTRODUCTION Colorectal surgery has been associated with a complication rate of 15 - 20 % and mean post-operative inpatient stays of 6 - 11 days . The principles of enhanced recovery after surgery ( ERAS ) are well established and have been developed to optimise peri-operative care and facilitate discharge . The purpose of this systematic review is to present an up date d review of peri-operative care in colorectal surgery from the available evidence and ERAS group recommendations . METHODS Systematic search es of the PubMed and Embase ™ data bases and the Cochrane library were conducted . A h and search of bibliographies of identified studies was conducted to identify any additional articles missed by the initial search strategy . RESULTS A total of 59 relevant studies were identified . These included six r and omised controlled trials and seven clinical controlled trials that fulfilled the inclusion criteria . These studies showed reductions in duration of inpatient stays in the ERAS groups compared with more traditional care as well as reductions in morbidity and mortality rates . CONCLUSIONS Review ing the data reveals that ERAS protocol s have a role in reducing post-operative morbidity and result in an accelerated recovery following colorectal surgery . Similarly , both primary and overall hospital stays are reduced significantly . However , the available evidence suggests that ERAS protocol s do not reduce hospital readmissions or mortality . These findings help to confirm that ERAS protocol s should now be implemented as the st and ard approach for peri-operative care in colorectal surgery
The majority of this literature derives from the study of patients undergoing colorectal surgery , but increasingly enhanced recovery is spreading to other surgical specialties .
The combination of reduced length of hospital stay ( a surrogate for morbidity ) with no increase in readmissions to hospital suggests that morbidity is reduced with enhanced recovery .
Inconsistency in morbidity reporting limits the value of pooling data between studies , but within study comparisons in general support this conclusion .
Patients adhering to an  enhanced recovery programme  return to normal function faster than those following traditional care pathways .
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The aim of this review is to summarize important publications in  enhanced recovery during 2010 - 2011 and to highlight key themes .