Diabetes mellitus may increase the risk of adverse perioperative outcomes and prolong hospital stay. An enhanced recovery program (ERP) reduces surgical stress and its metabolic consequences, so attenuating the impact of preoperative risk factors. We tested the hypothesis that diabetes would have only a minor impact on outcome after colorectal surgery with an ERP.

The data for patients scheduled for colorectal surgery between 2015 and 2021, were analyzed (n=769). All the patients were managed with the same protocol. Demographic data, preoperative risk factors, postoperative complications, and length of stay were compared between patients with and without diabetes.

In all, 124 patients (16.1%) had diabetes, of whom 30 (24.1%) required insulin. The following preoperative risk factors for postoperative complications were significantly more frequent in the patients with diabetes: age>70 years, ASA score ≥ III, renal failure, cardiac disease, BMI>30 kg/m², anemia, and cancer as indication for surgery. Despite more risk factors, patients with diabetes did not experience more overall postoperative complications than controls (OR (95%IC): 0.9 [0.6–1.5], p=0.85). Length of hospital stay was not significantly longer in patients with diabetes than in those without (4 [2–7] vs. 3 [2–7] days; p=0.45).

Despite more risk factors, patients with diabetes did not experience more complications or longer length of stay after colorectal surgery with an ERP. The multimodal, multidisciplinary approach of ERP to reducing surgical stress may thus help mitigate the reported deleterious effects of diabetes.