Background: Total proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) is widely regarded as a definitive surgical option for managing ulcerative colitis (UC). Enhanced recovery programs (ERP) have shown potential in better outcomes following surgery; however, their perioperative benefits in UC patients undergoing IPAA remain insufficiently investigated.

Methods: This study included UC patients who underwent IPAA between January 2008 and September 2023 across multiple affiliated centers within the China UC Pouch Center Union. Key outcomes analyzed included postoperative complications and long-term quality of life (QOL), assessed via the comprehensive complication index (CCI) and Cleveland Global Quality of Life (CGQL) instrument.

Results: A total of 216 patients were included, with a median follow-up of 8.0 years (interquartile range, 4.0-11.0 years); 62 patients underwent comprehensive ERP. Results indicated that ERP implementation significantly lowered CCI scores (p = 0.036), reduced the incidence of severe complications (CCI > 26.2, p = 0.019), shortened hospital stays (p = 0.046), and improved long-term QOL (p < 0.001). Non-adherence to ERP emerged as an independent risk factor for severe postoperative complications (odds ratio, 3.195; 95% confidence interval, 1.332-7.664; p = 0.009) and impaired QOL (odds ratio, 3.222; 95% confidence interval, 1.462-7.101; p = 0.004).

Conclusions: Our study provided supporting evidence for the application of perioperative ERP in a specific homogeneous cohort of UC patients undergoing IPAA to further improve clinical outcomes for them.