{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,29]],"date-time":"2026-09-29T13:04:14Z","timestamp":1790687054239,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,26]],"date-time":"2026-05-26T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1779753600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["J. Clin. Med.","JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: The ERAS (Enhanced Recovery After Surgery) protocol is a multidisciplinary perioperative care pathway aimed at improving postoperative recovery. Few studies have investigated their effectiveness in thyroid surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential clinical benefits of a structured ERAS protocol applied to thyroid surgery in a tertiary referral center. Methods: We conducted a single-center retrospective study on consecutive series of patients undergoing thyroid surgery for benign or malignant disease before (January 2018\u2013December 2022) and after (May 2024\u2013July 2024) the introduction of the ERAS protocol. A propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was used, matching the groups for age, gender, BMI and type of surgery. Results: After PSM, 64 matched patient pairs were analyzed. ERAS patients showed a significant reduction in length of hospital stay (p &lt; 0.001), postoperative nausea and vomiting (3.1% vs. 12.5%, p = 0.04), and pain with an NRS &gt; 5 12 h after surgery (9.4% vs. 26.6%, p = 0.01). Patients in the ERAS group showed significantly higher calcium levels at 6 h (9.09 vs. 8.7 mg\/dL, p &lt; 0.001) and 24 h (8.8 vs. 8.6 mg\/dL, p = 0.008) postoperatively, with a reduction in the need for intravenous calcium therapy (0% vs. 12.5%, p = 0.003). Conclusions: This study showed significant clinical benefits and reduced length of stay were achieved in thyroid surgery patients after the implementation of a structured ERAS protocol with potential implications for healthcare cost reduction.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm15114106","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,26]],"date-time":"2026-05-26T11:02:51Z","timestamp":1779793371000},"page":"4106","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Clinical Benefits of the Introduction of the ERAS Protocol in Thyroid Surgery: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8466-6787","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giacomo","family":"Di Filippo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Endocrine Surgery Unit, Department of Surgery and Oncology, Verona University Hospital, 37134 Verona, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Simona","family":"Mastrangeli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Unit B, University Hospital Integrated Trust of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-1056-1383","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giulia","family":"Gobbo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Department, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Giovanni","family":"Lazzari","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Endocrine Surgery Unit, Department of Surgery and Oncology, Verona University Hospital, 37134 Verona, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Eleonora","family":"Morelli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Endocrine Surgery Unit, Department of Surgery and Oncology, Verona University Hospital, 37134 Verona, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Dorin","family":"Serbusca","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Endocrine Surgery Unit, Department of Surgery and Oncology, Verona University Hospital, 37134 Verona, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-4282-5535","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marco","family":"Mazzola","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Department, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Federica","family":"Cantaluppi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Unit B, University Hospital Integrated Trust of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Beatrice","family":"Milan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Unit B, University Hospital Integrated Trust of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Enrico","family":"Polati","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Unit B, University Hospital Integrated Trust of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy"},{"name":"Department of Surgery, Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Unit B, Dentistry, Paediatrics and Gynaecology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7053-8434","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Katia","family":"Donadello","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Unit B, University Hospital Integrated Trust of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy"},{"name":"Department of Surgery, Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Unit B, Dentistry, Paediatrics and Gynaecology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6911-563X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Andrea","family":"Ruzzenente","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Endocrine Surgery Unit, Department of Surgery and Oncology, Verona University Hospital, 37134 Verona, Italy"},{"name":"Department of Surgery, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,26]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"606","DOI":"10.1093\/bja\/78.5.606","article-title":"Multimodal Approach to Control Postoperative Pathophysiology and Rehabilitation","volume":"78","author":"Kehlet","year":"1997","journal-title":"Br. 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