All patients were operated using laparoscopic surgery, and the perioperative care was based on pre-established ERAS protocol consisting of 13 pre and intraoperative items. Its principles and criteria for discharge from the hospital were based on the ERAS Society Guidelines.
Investigators analysed which of the factors: gender; age; BMI; ASA (American Society of Anaesthesiologists) physical status; type of surgery (colonic resection vs. rectal resection with total mesorectal excision, TME); stage of cancer; distance between the hospital and place of residence; operative time; intraoperative blood loss significantly prolong LOS (primary length of stay, excluding readmissions). Moreover, the compliance with ERAS protocol and its influence on LOS was analysed.
For the purposes of further analyses the entire group of patients was divided into 2 subgroups depending on the length of their hospital stay. On admission every patient received the information about the target length of stay of 4 days. Group 1 consisted of patients whose hospital stay was shorter or equal to the target LOS (≤ 4 days). In group 2 were patients whose hospital stay was longer than 4 days.
