We performed a breast conservation operation in 5 patients using a clinical pathway in 1995 and analyzed the effect on the patient's outcome. Compared to 5 patients without a clinical pathway during the same time period, the mean hospital stay decreased from 10.8 to 4.6 days and the amount of antibiotics decreased from 9.0 to 2.0g. A satisfactory effect was observed on the establishment of communication between staff and the standardized care of patients. Breast conservation operation seems to be a good candidate for the introduction of a clinical pathway. Further improvement could be obtained by reviewing the outcome of patients.
