Tailoring Enhanced Recovery Protocols for Children Undergoing Surgery for Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Qualitative Assessment

This application proposes to implement an ERP for pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), undergoing elective abdominal surgery. They represent an ideal population in which to study the implementation of ERPs because almost one third of patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) present before age 20 and up to three-quarters of CD patients require gastrointestinal (GI) surgery for medically refractory disease.18,19 A quarter of Ulcerative Colitis (UC) patients present before age 20 and all patients with UC require colectomy to either manage severe disease or mitigate cancer risks.18,20 The GI surgical procedures performed in children with IBD are similar to the adult procedures for which ERPs have been well tested and validated.