Decision for Safe Discharge After Gastric Cancer Surgery: The Finale of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Program.

Abstract

https://jgc-online.org Since the first successful gastrectomy by Theodor Billroth in 1881 [1], surgery has been the main treatment option for gastric cancer, which is one of the main causes of death in the Republic of Korea [2]. Understanding the biology of cancer and anatomy of the stomach and surrounding structures [3], the developed surgical technique and equipment [4], and improved perioperative care [5] help improve the surgical outcomes after gastrectomy for gastric cancer. The related mortality has dramatically decreased from 69% in the 1880s to less than 1% recently [1,6]. The hospital stay has also decreased from 22 days reported in the first cases by Billroth to 7 days in recent cases [6], and the minimally invasive surgery reduced it to even less than 5 days [7]. The enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS), a multimodal, multidisciplinary approach to surgical treatment, is the center of this improvement.