Optimal results through enhanced recovery: Achieving textbook outcomes with high compliance in elective liver surgery

Background: Existing studies suggest a positive correlation between high compliance with enhanced recovery programs (ERP) and improved outcomes. While individual outcome measures have advantages, composite benchmarks, such as textbook outcome (TO), offer a more comprehensive assessment of healthcare performance. Given the link between ERP and postoperative outcomes, this study aims to investigate the impact of ERP on TO attainment after liver surgery (LS). Methods: A prospective multicenter cohort of patients undergoing LS and exposed to ERP from 2016 to 2022 in France was analyzed. The primary outcome was to compare the rates of TO achieved between patients with high ERP compliance (>70%) and those with low ERP compliance (<70%) after LS. Results: A total of 706 patients were included in the study, and 217 (30.7%) achieved TO: 170 patients with high ERP compliance (24%) versus 47 patients (6.6%) with low ERP compliance attained TO (p < 0.001). High ERP compliance was associated to an increased likelihood of achieving TO [odds ratio (OR) = 1.49 (95% CI: 1.01, 2.24); p = 0.049], while cholangiocarcinoma [OR = 0.11 (95% CI: 0.02, 0.39); p = 0.003], high complexity LS [OR = 0.22 (95% CI: 0.13, 0.36); p < 0.001], intraoperative hypotension requiring vasopressors [OR = 0.29 (95% CI: 0.10, 0.68); p = 0.010], and post-operative ileus [OR = 0.08 (95% CI: 0.00, 0.37); p = 0.013] were negatively associated to the likelihood of achieving TO. Conclusions: Patients with high ERP compliance after LS experience elevated rates of TO, compared to those with low ERP compliance.