Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) or fast-track surgery (FTS) is a perioperative and postoperative care concept initiated in the early 1990s

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) or fast-track surgery (FTS) is a perioperative and postoperative care concept initiated in the early 1990s aiming to reduce the length of hospital stay (LOS) following elective abdominal surgery. A correlation between ERAS and postoperative complications has been proposed. Some randomized studies found decreased postoperative complications using ERAS, other reports showed at least comparable complication rates between ERAS and conventional postoperative care, challenging a clear advantage for ERAS protocols. Development of postoperative ileus (POI) as one of the major adverse events following abdominal surgery is based on the alteration of 'migration motor complex'. POI has been described as an independent predicting factor of prolonged LOS and the major parameter accounting for hospital morbidity regardless of the type of operation. It still remains unclear whether postoperative early enteral nutrition(EEN) would increase abdominal distention, vomiting or ileal complications compared with routine postoperative management.