Enhanced Recovery After Intraspinal Tumor Surgery: A Single-Institutional Randomized Controlled Study

Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) program for intraspinal tumors in a single-institutional prospective randomized controlled trial.

Methods: A multimodal and multidisciplinary ERAS protocol for intraspinal tumor surgery was developed. A total of 94 enrolled patients were randomized into 2 groups: 48 were managed following the ERAS protocol (ERAS group), and 46 received conventional perioperative care (control group). The primary end point was postoperative length of stay (LOS). The secondary outcomes included postoperative pain score and pain medication use, urinary catheterization, ambulation, mortality, reoperation/readmission rates, complication rates, patient satisfaction, and overall cost.

Results: A significant reduction in LOS was achieved in patients undergoing ERAS protocol compared with the controls (5 vs. 8 days; P < 0.0001). Moreover, patients in the ERAS group had better postoperative pain scores (1.0 ± 1.3 vs. 1.9 ± 1.3; P = 0.007), decreased use of patient-controlled analgesia (4.2% vs. 19.6%; P = 0.020) and oral opioid (37.5% vs. 58.7%; P = 0.040), early urinary catheter removal (58.3% vs. 6.5%; P < 0.0001), greater ambulation (68.8% vs. 17.4%; P < 0.0001), and higher satisfaction scores (91.8 ± 4.4 vs. 88.2 ± 6.8; P = 0.022) than did the control group. There were no deaths or 30-day readmission/reoperation in both groups, nor did the postoperative complication rates differ between groups.

Conclusions: The ERAS protocol for intraspinal tumor surgery seems to be feasible, effective, and safe in shortening postoperative LOS, improving postoperative pain control with reduced opioid use, and accelerating functional recovery without increasing rates of complications or reoperation/readmission. Adoption of spine ERAS programs could be encouraged in practice, although validation with larger-scale multicenter trials is warranted.