# The ERAS nursing care strategy for patients undergoing transsphenoidal endoscopic pituitary tumor resection: A randomized blinded controlled trial

## TL;DR

This study shows that using the ERAS nursing strategy after pituitary tumor surgery improves patient recovery, shortens hospital stays, and reduces costs without more complications.

## Contribution

The study introduces the application of ERAS nursing care in transsphenoidal endoscopic pituitary tumor surgery, demonstrating improved recovery and cost efficiency.

## Key findings

- ERAS group had higher self-care ability 24 hours post-surgery compared to the non-ERAS group.
- ERAS group had shorter average hospital stays and lower hospitalization costs.
- ERAS group showed better early food intake and no increase in postoperative complications.

## Abstract

Transsphenoidal endoscopic pituitary (TEP) tumor resection is performed through the nose via the sphenoid sinus to remove tumors from the pituitary gland. Also, enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) was adapted to reduce physical and physiological traumatic stress response of surgical patients.

A total of 174 patients who underwent TEP tumor resection in our department from August 2021 to June 2022 were randomly divided into non-ERAS group and ERAS group. The main primary observational indicator was postoperative self-care ability parameters such as early urethral catheters’ removal and postoperative food intake. Also, secondary indicators such as postoperative complications, average length of hospital stay (LOS), and total hospital cost were compared.

The overall self-care ability of the ERAS group was higher than that of the non-ERAS group 24 h after surgery (35 points vs 20 points, p < 0.001). Also, food intake on the first day after surgery was higher than that of the non-ERAS group (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the average LOS in the ERAS group was lower than that of the non-ERAS group (4 days vs 7 days, p < 0.01). Additionally, the average hospitalization cost in the ERAS group was lower than that of the non-ERAS group (32, 886 RMB vs 48, 125 RMB, p < 0.001).

ERAS nursing strategy promoted early recovery of self-care, shorten the average LOS, and reduce hospitalization costs without increasing the incidence of postoperative complications.