Standardizing Surgical Care: The 2024 Korean ERAS Guidelines for HBP Surgery

The 2024 Korean Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) guidelines for hepatobiliary and pancreatic (HBP) surgery provide a standardized framework for perioperative care in South Korea. Published in the Annals of Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism on December 1, 2025, these protocols aim to reduce postoperative complications and shorten hospital stays for patients undergoing complex abdominal procedures.

What Are the 2024 Korean ERAS Guidelines?

The guidelines represent a collaborative effort by the Korean Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Committee, operating within the Korean Society of Surgical Metabolism and Nutrition. According to the publication, the initiative seeks to align clinical practices across major medical institutions to improve patient outcomes.

By standardizing perioperative care—the period surrounding a surgical procedure—the committee intends to mitigate the variability in treatment approaches that often complicates recovery. The framework focuses on evidence-based interventions designed to optimize a patient’s physiological state before, during, and after surgery.

Who Developed These Surgical Standards?

The development of these guidelines involved a multi-institutional panel of experts from leading South Korean medical centers. The committee included representatives from:

* Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine: Kwangpyo Hong and Sung-Moon Jeong.
* Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine: Hongbeom Kim.
* Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine: Hyung Sun Kim.
* Seoul National University Bundang Hospital: Hae Won Lee.
* Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea: Ho Joong Choi.
* Seoul National University Hospital: YoungRok Choi and Do Joong Park.
* Jeonbuk National University Hospital: Jae Do Yang.
* National Cancer Center: Sang-Jae Park.

The project was led by corresponding authors Dae Wook Hwang and Sang-Jae Park, as documented in the December 2025 issue of the Annals of Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism.

How Do These Guidelines Improve Patient Outcomes?

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery protocols generally prioritize reducing the stress of surgery on the body. By implementing these specific HBP guidelines, hospitals aim to achieve three primary clinical goals:

1. Standardization of Care: Ensuring that patients receive consistent, high-quality treatment regardless of which facility they visit.
2. Reduced Complications: Applying unified best practices to lower the risk of infections, organ dysfunction, and other postoperative issues.
3. Efficient Recovery: Utilizing optimized care pathways to facilitate faster patient mobilization and earlier discharge from the hospital.

Future Outlook for HBP Surgery in Korea

The release of these guidelines marks a significant step toward unifying surgical methodology in South Korea. As medical centers begin to integrate these protocols into their daily operations, the focus will shift toward monitoring the long-term impact on patient data. The Korean Society of Surgical Metabolism and Nutrition expects these measures to serve as a benchmark for future surgical care, potentially influencing clinical workflows beyond hepatobiliary and pancreatic specialties.