Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols in esophagectomy: a comprehensive review of current practices

The ERAS (Enhanced Recovery After Surgery) protocols are multimodal perioperative pathways that accelerate patient recovery. Despite the widespread adoption of ERAS protocols in a variety of surgical subspecialties (i.e. colorectal, bariatric, orthopedic surgery), their use in esophageal surgery is still debated. Although still not universally accepted, an increasing number of institutions are adopting the ERAS protocols for esophagectomy. In this review, we sought to provide a comprehensive summary of the components of ERAS protocols following esophagectomy, encompassing preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative phases. Furthermore, we sought to examine variations in the most recent ERAS guidelines and identify gaps that future researchers need to address to achieve consensus on universally accepted ERAS guidelines.