Abstracting and Indexing

• PubMed NLM
• Google Scholar
• Semantic Scholar
• Scilit
• CrossRef
• WorldCat
• ResearchGate
• Academic Keys
• DRJI
• Microsoft Academic
• Academia.edu
• OpenAIRE
• Scribd
• Baidu Scholar

Background: Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) programmes bundle several evidence-based practices to ease surgical stress and speed recovery. They’re now routine in many countries, yet hospitals in resource-limited parts of India, especially tertiary centres handling abdominal cases, have been slow to adopt them.

Objective: This review looks at how ERAS is being used in abdominal surgery, gauges its clinical impact, pinpoints the practical roadblocks, and suggests ways forward for semi-urban Indian hospitals. We place special emphasis on recent experience at Katihar Medical College in Bihar.

Methods: We carried out a narrative search of PubMed, Scopus, and Embase for papers published between 2000 and 2025, focusing on studies that reported ERAS outcomes in abdominal surgery. Sixty-eight articles met our criteria. To ground the discussion in local realities, we also drew on audit data from Katihar Medical College.

Results: Across the literature, ERAS consistently cut complications, shortened hospital stays, accelerated return of bowel function, and lifted patient satisfaction. At the same time, many Indian centres struggle with patchy infrastructure, uneven protocol adherence, and cultural resistance to change. The Katihar experience mirrored the global benefits but also underscored the need for system-level tweaks—better staff training, clearer pathways, and stronger policy support.

Conclusion: ERAS is safe, effective, and scalable for abdominal surgery. Rolling it out successfully in India will hinge on tailoring protocols to local resources and work cultures. With the right adjustments, institutions such as Katihar Medical College can become templates for wider ERAS adoption nationwide.