Expert consensus on anesthesia in Enhanced Recovery after Surgery for esophageal cancer surgery

Abstract

Esophageal cancer is one of the common malignant tumors of the digestive system in China. Surgical intervention is a frequently employed method for treating esophageal cancer. However, esophagectomy is a complex surgical procedure with a relatively high incidence of complications and mortality. In recent years, enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) as a novel medical concept, has gradually gained acceptance among healthcare professionals and been widely applied. It has also demonstrated significant efficacy in the surgical treatment of esophageal cancer. This article summarizes evidence-based medicine (EMB) in the perioperative period of ERAS for esophageal cancer treatment and formulates a clinical pathway for ERAS in esophageal cancer treatment throughout the perioperative period, aiming to provide guidance for clinical practice. Preoperatively, the following measures are advocated: preoperative education, preoperative nutrition assessment and risk assessment, individualized fasting and fluid restriction, optimal timing of surgery after neoadjuvant therapy, and the establishment of a multidisciplinary team (MDT) collaborative diagnostic and treatment model. Intraoperatively, optimization of anesthesia strategies, maintenance of optimal fluid balance, implementation of protective lung ventilation strategies, prevention of intraoperative hypothermia, and the selection of appropriate surgical techniques are essential. Postoperatively, effective pain management, thrombosis prevention, early mobilization, early removal of nasogastric tubes, drainage tubes, and urinary catheters, prevention of postoperative complications, and proactive enteral nutrition should be emphasized. It is important to note that the ERAS protocol is not static and continues to undergo improvement, with ongoing systematic training and promotion in the hope of wider adoption in more medical centers.