The impact of multidisciplinary intervention under the concept of ERAS on the prognosis of frail older patients undergoing gastrectomy: a non-randomized prospective cohort study

Abstract Objective: To explore the impact of a multidisciplinary intervention model guided by the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) concept on the prognosis of frail elderly patients undergoing gastrectomy and to provide clinical evidence for optimizing perioperative management strategies. Methods: A prospective cohort study design was adopted. A total of 186 frail elderly patients who underwent elective gastrectomy in our hospital from January 2023 to June 2025 were selected and divided into a control group (94 cases) and a conventional group (92 cases) based on the intervention method. The conventional group received the traditional perioperative management model, while the control group was subjected to a multidisciplinary collaborative ERAS intervention plan involving the surgical department, anesthesiology, nutrition, rehabilitation, geriatrics, and the nursing team. The postoperative complication rate, hospital stay, ICU stay, postoperative functional recovery, and 30-day readmission rate were compared between the two groups, and the clinical value of the multidisciplinary ERAS intervention was analyzed. Results: The total postoperative complication rate (χ² = 7.523, P = 0.006), postoperative hospital stay, and ICU stay of the control group were significantly shorter than those of the conventional group (P < 0.001). At 7 days postoperatively, the 6-minute walk test distance and the Mini-Mental State Examination scores of the control group were significantly better than those of the conventional group (all P < 0.001). The 30-day readmission rate of the control group was lower than that of the conventional group (χ² = 4.572, P = 0.032). Conclusion: Implementing a multidisciplinary intervention based on the ERAS concept for frail elderly patients undergoing gastrectomy can significantly reduce the postoperative complication rate, shorten hospital stay, promote physical and cognitive function recovery, and improve clinical prognosis, which has important clinical promotion value.