Table 1.

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) programme elements for colonic surgery

Before surgery	Preadmission counselling
	No preoperative bowel preparation
	Preoperative oral carbohydrate administration
During surgery	Preventing hypothermia by upper body air-warming device
	Use of thoracic epidural anaesthesia
	Nasogastric tube removed at end of surgery
After surgery	Mobilisation for 15 min on day 0 after surgery
	Use of 500 mL oral fluids on day 0 after surgery
	Intravenous fluid infusion stopped on postoperative day 1 Mobilisation at least three times for 30 min on postoperative day 1
	Resumption of solid food on postoperative day 1
	Use of oral nutritional supplements on postoperative day 1
	Use of magnesium oxide on postoperative day 1
	Removal of (thoracic) epidural analgesia on postoperative day 2