Enhanced Recovery Program, Patient Reported Outcomes, Surgery-specific Outcomes and Stress Response After Pancreatic Surgery: A Prospective Observational Cohort Study by the Thessalic Pancreas Study Group (ThePANas).

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are studying how following the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) program affects patients undergoing pancreatic surgery. This observational study will track patient-reported outcomes, surgery-specific results, and the body's stress response after surgery. The study will include all patients having pancreatic surgery at two hospitals in Greece over three years, from 2022 to 2025. The goal is to understand how well patients recover, how complications develop, and how stress markers change with ERAS program adherence. Participants will follow the ERAS protocol before, during, and after their surgery. This includes patient education, nutritional support, smoking and alcohol advice, specific medication schedules, anesthesia techniques, early removal of tubes and drains, pain management, physical therapy, and diet progression. The protocol aims to support recovery through careful planning and monitoring. Data on patient characteristics, surgical details, complications, and adherence to ERAS steps will be collected throughout the study period. Participants will complete quality of life questionnaires before surgery, on day five after surgery, and at one week, one month, and six months after discharge. Blood tests measuring stress markers will be taken before surgery and during the first five days after. Researchers will track complications such as delayed gastric emptying, pancreatic fistula, and hemorrhage within six weeks, plus longer-term outcomes including hospital stay length, overall complications, and cancer recurrence. All data will be securely stored and analyzed to understand the impact of ERAS program compliance on recovery and outcomes.

Compliance With ERAS Protocol in Pancreatic Surgery, Stress Response and Outcomes