Elderly patients over 70 years benefit from enhanced recovery programme after colorectal surgery as much as younger patients.

•Enhanced recovery programme (ERP) after elective colorectal surgery is feasible and efficient in elderly patients.•Elderly patients comply with the ERP satisfactorily and do not require adaptation of protocol, beside the respect of contraindication(s) due to co-morbidities.•Length of hospital stay and incidences of medical as well as surgical complications are similar in young and older patients in spite of more risk factors for postoperative complications in elderly.•Elderly population benefits from this pathway as much as younger patients after elective colorectal surgery and should not be excluded from enhanced recovery programme.