Expert consensus on the application of enhanced recovery after surgery in esophageal cancer (2026 edition)

The concept of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS), proposed by professor Kehlet in 1997, has been widely adopted across various surgical specialties. In esophageal surgery, ERAS has demonstrated benefits including reduced postoperative complications, shorter hospital stays, and improved patient outcomes. In 2016, the Expert Committee on Rapid Recovery of the Chinese Association of Thoracic Surgeons (CATS) developed the Chinese expert consensus on enhanced recovery after esophagectomy (vision 2016), which has since played an important role in guiding and standardizing its clinical application. Over the recent years, considerable progress has been made in the ERAS concept, minimally invasive esophagectomy techniques, and related fields. To adapt to these advances, the National Cancer Center, the Chinese Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, the Esophageal Cancer Expert Committee of Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology, and the Chinese Society for Diseases of the Esophagus, convened esophageal surgery specialists and multidis-ciplinary experts from related fields, to update the 2016 consensus using the Delphi method, and develop Expert consensus on the application of enhanced recovery after surgery in esophageal cancer (2026 edition). This consensus systematically outlines the key components of the ERAS pathway for esophageal cancer across the full cycle of care, including preoperative assessment and optimization, intraoperative management, postoperative rehabilitation, and post-discharge follow‑up. In total, it provides 32 recommendations spanning four major categories of clinical issues. Grounded in the latest evidence, tailored to Chinese clinical practice, this document aims to guide the standardized implementation of ERAS in esophageal cancer, thereby enhancing patients′ quality of recovery and long‑term survival.