Short- and long-term outcomes associated with enhanced recovery after surgery protocol vs conventional management in patients undergoing laparoscopic gastrectomy

BACKGROUND At present,the enhanced recovery after surgery(ERAS)protocol is widely implemented in the field of gastric surgery.However,the effect of the ERAS protocol on the long-term prognosis of gastric cancer has not been reported.AIM To compare the effects of ERAS and conventional protocols on short-term outcomes and long-term prognosis after laparoscopic gastrectomy.METHODS We retrospectively analyzed the data of 1026 consecutive patients who underwent laparoscopic gastrectomy between 2012 and 2015.The patients were divided into either an ERAS group or a conventional group.The groups were matched in a 1:1 ratio using propensity scores based on covariates that affect cancer survival.The primary outcomes were the 5-year overall and cancer-specific survival rates.The secondary outcomes were the postoperative short-term outcomes and inflammatory indexes.RESULTS The patient demographics and baseline characteristics were similar between the two groups after matching.Compared to the conventional group,the ERAS group had a significantly shorter postoperative hospital day(7.09 d vs 8.67 d,P<0.001),shorter time to first flatus,liquid intake,and ambulation(2.50 d vs 3.40 d,P<0.001;1.02 d vs 3.64 d,P<0.001;1.47 d vs 2.99 d,P<0.001,respectively),and lower medical costs($7621.75 vs$7814.16,P=0.009).There was a significantly higher rate of postoperative complications among patients in the conventional group than among those in the ERAS group(18.1 vs 12.3,P=0.030).Regarding inflammatory indexes,the C-reactive protein and procalcitonin levels on postoperative day 3/4 were significantly different between the two groups(P<0.001 and P=0.025,respectively).The ERAS protocol was associated with significantly improved 5-year overall survival and cancer-specific survival rates compared with conventional protocol(P=0.013 and 0.032,respectively).When stratified by tumour stage,only the survival of patients with stage III disease was significantly different between the two groups(P=0.044).CONCLUSION Adherence to the ERAS protocol improves both the short-term outcomes and the 5-year overall survival and cancer-specific survival of patients after laparoscopic gastrectomy.

Mechanical properties of graphene nanoplatelets reinforced 7075 aluminum alloy composite fabricated by spark plasma sintering

A 0.3wt%graphene nanoplatelets(GNPs)reinforced 7075 aluminum alloy matrix(7075 Al)composite was fabricated by spark plasma sintering and its strength and wear resistance were investigated.The microstructures of the internal structure,the friction surface,and the wear debris were characterized by scanning electron microscopy,X-ray diffraction,and Raman spectroscopy.Compared with the original 7075 aluminum alloy,the hardness and elastic modulus of the 7075 Al/GNPs composite were found to have increased by 29%and 36%,respectively.The results of tribological experiments indicated that the composite also exhibited a lower wear rate than the original 7075 aluminum alloy.