Introduction: Principles of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS®) protocols are well established, with the primary goal of optimizing perioperative care and recovery. The use of multimodal analgesia is a key component of these protocols, including regional analgesia techniques such as thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA), transversus abdominis plane (TAP), rectus sheath blocks or continuous wound infiltration (CWI)/catheters, and spinal anesthesia. We compare and contrast regional anesthesia approaches in different institutional colorectal surgery ERAS protocols.
Materials and methods: ERAS protocols for open and laparoscopic colorectal surgery were obtained from 15 different healthcare facilities mostly located in North American and one in New Zealand. A comparison was then made with respect to regional anesthesia recommendations.
Results: The most commonly used regional technique among protocols was TEA. TAP blocks were the next most common, with rectus sheath blocks and continuous wound catheters only mentioned in one protocol each.
Conclusion: There are both similarities and differences in regional anesthesia techniques, which may be due to institution- and provider-level factors. Most protocols advocate for TEA use, which has been associated with a lower incidence of paralytic ileus, attenuation of the surgical stress response, improved intestinal blood flow, improved analgesia, and reduction of opioid use. Use of spinal anesthesia may lead to earlier mobilization compared to TEA, and lower doses of intrathecal morphine are recommended to reduce respiratory depression. TAP blocks were indicated for laparoscopic procedures. Rectus sheath blocks, which are listed in some protocols, may provide analgesia equivalent to epidural anesthesia, while avoiding complications of TEA. CWI has been effective in reducing postoperative pain, hastening recovery, and improving pulmonary function.
Keywords: ERAS; enhanced recovery after surgery; epidural; multimodal analgesia; protocol; regional anesthesia.