Authors: (including presenting author): :
Chan Helen(1), Leong Ricky(1)
Affiliation: :
(1) Department of Surgery, Yan Chai Hospital
Keyword 2: :
Enhance recovery after surgery
Keyword 3: :
Colorectal surgery
Keyword 4: :
Length of Stay
Keyword 5: :
Multidisciplinary cooperation
Introduction: :
Functional recovery assessment after colorectal surgery is crucial role for optimizing patient outcomes and reducing healthcare burdens. The Drinking, Eating, and Mobilising (DrEaMing) bundle, delivered within 24 hours post-operatively, represents a simplified, patient-centered approach that re-prioritizes early postoperative care to enhance recovery pathways. Moreover, multidisciplinary cooperation toward the expected discharge date (EDD) involves multiple measures, such as the physiotherapist’s modified functional ambulatory category scale, the dietitian’s early feeding with soup and tea, and the doctor’s acceptance.
Objectives: :
(1)to evaluate the association between DrEaMing compliance and postoperative length of stay (LOS) in patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery; (2)to improve resource utilisation; (3)to reduce healthcare costs; (4) to enhance patient satisfaction.
Methodology: :
A retrospective cohort study was conducted analyzing 101 colorectal surgery patients at Yan Chai Hospital: 51 in the pre-implementation ERAS cohort (January–June, 2025) and 50 in the post-implementation DrEaMing cohort (June–December, 2025). All patients aged ≥18 years undergoing elective colonic or rectal resection for cancer were included. The outcome was median length of stay.
Result & Outcome: :
Shorter hospital length of stay was significantly associated with DrEaMing protocol compliance. In colonic resection patients, median LOS with DrEaMing was 4.0 days versus 5.25 days with traditional ERAS, representing a 1.25-day reduction (23.8% improvement). In rectal resection patients, median LOS was 7.0 days versus 7.5 days with traditional ERAS, representing a 0.5-day reduction (6.7% improvement). Combined colorectal cohort achieved a median LOS reduction of 2 days (28.6% improvement). Conclusions The DrEaming protocol significantly reduces hospital length of stay colonic and rectal surgery without compromising patient safety. These findings support hospital wide implementation as standard of care for elective colorectal surgery, with anticipated benefits of improved resource utilisation, reduced healthcare costs, and enhanced patient satisfaction.
