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CompletedNCT04037787ERAS-ColonUpdated Oct 2, 2023

ERAS (Enhanced Recovery After Surgery) Protocol Implementation in Piedmont Region for Colorectal Cancer Surgery

An interventional study of ERAS protocol in Colorectal Cancer, Quality Improvement and Perioperative Care, sponsored by Ospedale Santa Croce-Carle Cuneo. Completed at 1 site in Italy. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2023-10-02.

Sponsored by Ospedale Santa Croce-Carle Cuneo · Not applicable, Interventional, and Health services research

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
2,397
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
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Study summary

The study assesses the impact on quality of care of implementing the ERAS (Enhanced Recovery After Surgery) protocol for colorectal cancer surgery in the network of public hospitals in the Regione Piemonte (North-West Italy). Every hospital is a cluster entering the study treating patients according to its current clinical practice. On the basis of a randomized order, each hospital switches from current clinical practice to the adoption of the ERAS protocol.

Read the detailed description

ERAS (Enhanced Recovery After Surgery) protocol is a multimodal perioperative care pathways designed to achieve early recovery after surgical procedures by maintaining preoperative organ function and reducing the profound stress response following surgery. Even if efficacy and safety of ERAS protocol in colorectal surgery is well-established in the literature, its implementation is limited to few selected centres in Piemonte. The aim of the study is to extend the implementation of the ERAS protocol to whole regional network of hospitals. Specific objectives are to estimate its impact on different dimensions of quality of care, including length of stay, complications and patient satisfaction, and to identify possible barriers or facilitating factors.

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Conditions studied

  • Colorectal Cancer
  • Quality Improvement
  • Perioperative Care
  • Recovery of Function
03

In context

Colorectal Neoplasms

5,738 studies on the registry are indexed under Colorectal Neoplasms; 1,481 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 2,397 is above the median of 77 across 4,222 interventional studies indexed under Colorectal Neoplasms.

Browse Colorectal Neoplasms studies →

Lead sponsor

Ospedale Santa Croce-Carle Cuneo is the lead sponsor of 14 studies on the registry; 1 is open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

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Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • All the hospital wards within the Piemonte Region performing colorectal cancer surgery
  • All the patients receiving an elective surgery for colorectal cancer, with or without protective stoma.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Hospital wards performing less than 30 expected cases per year
  • Emergency surgery
  • High severity cases not allowing ERAS protocol implementation (i.e. American Society of Anesthesiologists score: ASA V).
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Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Health services research
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Crossover assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
2,397 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • No intervention
    Usual care

    Perioperative care for colorectal cancer cancer is managed according to current hospital clinical practice.

  • Experimental
    ERAS protocol

    Perioperative care for colorectal cancer surgery is managed according to ERAS protocol.

    Procedure: ERAS protocol

Interventions

  • ProcedureERAS protocol

    In colorectal cancer surgery, the ERAS protocol involves an accurate interview with the patient in the preoperative phase aimed at smoking and alcohol cessation, the reduction of preoperative fasting with administration of oral carbohydrates before surgery, use of intestinal preparation for selected cases only (rectal surgery), the prophylaxis of thromboembolism, a correct antibiotic prophylaxis, the prevention of intraoperative hypothermia, prevention of volume overload, preference for minimally invasive surgery, prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting, very limited use of the nasogastric tube, early removal of the urinary catheter, multimodal analgesia to minimize opiate consumption, early postoperative mobilization and early post-operative feeding, to promote rapid recovery of gastro-intestinal functions.

    Also known as: ERAS (Enhanced Recovery After Surgery) protocol

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What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Length of stay

    Mean length of stay calculated as difference between date of discharge and date of admission of the hospitalization for surgery, excluding length of stay \>94th percentile of the expected distribution (expected 22 days).

    Time frame: 22 days after admission

Secondary outcomes

  1. Length of stay >22 days

    Rate of patients with a length of stay \>22 days

    Time frame: 30 days after admission

  2. Recovery after surgery

    Score of quality of recovery at 24 hours after surgery, assessed with the questionnaire Quality of Recovery (QoR-15), a 15-items instrument, with responses recorded on a 11-point Likert-type scale form 0 (worst scenario) to 10 (best scenario) and an overall score ranging from 0 (poor recovey) to 150 (excellent recovery). A visual analogue scale (VAS), ranging from 0 (worst imaginable health state) to 10 (worst imaginable health state) is also supplied as summary evaluation.

    Time frame: 24 hours after surgery

  3. Complications

    Rate of surgical and medical complication after surgery For surgical complications: Comprehensive Complication Index

    Time frame: 30 days after discharge

  4. Transfer to intensive care unit

    Rate of transfers to intensive care unit after surgery

    Time frame: 30 days after surgery

  5. Emergency visits after discharge

    Rate of emergency visit in the first month after discharge

    Time frame: 30 days after discharge

  6. Hospital admissions after discharge

    Rate of new admissions in the first month after discharge

    Time frame: 30 days after discharge

  7. Reintervention

    Rate of reintervention in the first month after surgery, excluding planned interventions

    Time frame: 30 days after surgery

  8. Patients' satisfaction

    Score of patients' satisfaction measured 2 weeks after discharge, assessed with the questionnaire Surgical Satisfaction Questionnaire (SSQ8) supplied by telephone. SSQ8 is a 8-items instrument, with responses recorded on a 5-point Likert-type scale from 0 (worst scenario) to 4 (best scenario) and an overall score ranging from 0 (very unsatisfied) to 32 (very satisfied).

    Time frame: 15 days after discharge

  9. Healthcare costs

    Mean healthcare costs from pre admission visit to 30 days after discharge

    Time frame: 30 days after discharge

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Study locations

1 site
  • Ospedale Santa Croce-Carle Cuneo
    Cuneo, 12100, Italy
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References and documents

Publications

  • Gustafsson UO, Scott MJ, Hubner M, Nygren J, Demartines N, Francis N, Rockall TA, Young-Fadok TM, Hill AG, Soop M, de Boer HD, Urman RD, Chang GJ, Fichera A, Kessler H, Grass F, Whang EE, Fawcett WJ, Carli F, Lobo DN, Rollins KE, Balfour A, Baldini G, Riedel B, Ljungqvist O. Guidelines for Perioperative Care in Elective Colorectal Surgery: Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS(R)) Society Recommendations: 2018. World J Surg. 2019 Mar;43(3):659-695. doi: 10.1007/s00268-018-4844-y. PubMed 30426190 ↗
  • Kehlet H. Fast-track surgery-an update on physiological care principles to enhance recovery. Langenbecks Arch Surg. 2011 Jun;396(5):585-90. doi: 10.1007/s00423-011-0790-y. Epub 2011 Apr 6. PubMed 21468643 ↗
  • Greco M, Capretti G, Beretta L, Gemma M, Pecorelli N, Braga M. Enhanced recovery program in colorectal surgery: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. World J Surg. 2014 Jun;38(6):1531-41. doi: 10.1007/s00268-013-2416-8. PubMed 24368573 ↗
  • Braga M, Borghi F, Scatizzi M, Missana G, Guicciardi MA, Bona S, Ficari F, Maspero M, Pecorelli N; PeriOperative Italian Society. Impact of laparoscopy on adherence to an enhanced recovery pathway and readiness for discharge in elective colorectal surgery: Results from the PeriOperative Italian Society registry. Surg Endosc. 2017 Nov;31(11):4393-4399. doi: 10.1007/s00464-017-5486-0. Epub 2017 Mar 13. PubMed 28289972 ↗
  • Greer NL, Gunnar WP, Dahm P, Lee AE, MacDonald R, Shaukat A, Sultan S, Wilt TJ. Enhanced Recovery Protocols for Adults Undergoing Colorectal Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Dis Colon Rectum. 2018 Sep;61(9):1108-1118. doi: 10.1097/DCR.0000000000001160. PubMed 30086061 ↗
  • Pagano E, Pellegrino L, Robella M, Castiglione A, Brunetti F, Giacometti L, Rolfo M, Rizzo A, Palmisano S, Meineri M, Bachini I, Morino M, Allaix ME, Mellano A, Massucco P, Bellomo P, Polastri R, Ciccone G, Borghi F; ERAS-colorectal Piemonte group. Implementation of an enhanced recovery after surgery protocol for colorectal cancer in a regional hospital network supported by audit and feedback: a stepped wedge, cluster randomised trial. BMJ Qual Saf. 2024 May 17;33(6):363-374. doi: 10.1136/bmjqs-2023-016594. PubMed 38423752 ↗
  • Pagano E, Pellegrino L, Rinaldi F, Palazzo V, Donati D, Meineri M, Palmisano S, Rolfo M, Bachini I, Bertetto O, Borghi F, Ciccone G; ERAS Colon-Rectum Piemonte study group members. Implementation of the ERAS (Enhanced Recovery After Surgery) protocol for colorectal cancer surgery in the Piemonte Region with an Audit and Feedback approach: study protocol for a stepped wedge cluster randomised trial: a study of the EASY-NET project. BMJ Open. 2021 Jun 3;11(6):e047491. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-047491. PubMed 34083345 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: Yes — Anonymised data can be made available upon reasonable request, with appropriate human research ethics approvals and data transfer agreements in place.

Supporting information: Study protocol

Time frame: Available after results publication

Access criteria: Upon reasonable request, with appropriate human research ethics approvals and data transfer agreements in place.

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Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reachedSimilar studies: half by the dot; the band is the middle halfHalf of similar studies reached it by the dot; the band is the middle half, from a quarter to three quarters

Ran from Sep 2019 to primary completion in May 2021, 20 months.

Of 801 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Colorectal Neoplasms, half reached primary completion within 32 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 14 and three quarters within 60. This study's 20 months is below that.

Counting every sponsor, half of 845 studies reached it within 32 months; a quarter within 14 and three quarters within 60.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Jul 26, 2019
First posted
Jul 30, 2019
StartActual
Sep 1, 2019
Primary completionActual
May 31, 2021
CompletionActual
Nov 30, 2021
Last update
Oct 2, 2023
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Oct 2, 2023, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT04037787
Lead sponsor
Ospedale Santa Croce-Carle Cuneo
Collaborators
A.O.U. Città della Salute e della Scienza, Ministry of Health, Italy, Regione Piemonte
Responsible party
Felice Borghi (Surgeon, Ospedale Santa Croce-Carle Cuneo) — Principal investigator
First posted
Jul 30, 2019
Start date
Sep 1, 2019
Primary completion
May 31, 2021
Completion
Nov 30, 2021
Last update
Oct 2, 2023

Study contacts

Giovannino Ciccone, MD
study chair · Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Sep 2023. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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