Implementation of a clinical pathway for laparoscopic colorectal surgery

The purpose of this study was to assess through questionnaire the validity of our original clinical pathway for laparoscopic colorectal surgery. From 2001 to 2002, laparoscopic colorectal surgery was performed in 52 patients in our institution. All patients were out of bed within 3 days after the operation. The average postoperative hospital stay was 10.9 days. The implementation rate of the clinical pathway was 100%. As to the results of the questionnaire, 92.4% of the patients felt they could be discharged within 7 days after the operation, whereas >95% of the patients wanted to go home on a Sunday/holiday or the day before. All but 2 patients (96.2%) were satisfied with our therapy. In a clinical pathway for laparoscopic colorectomy, a high implementation rate and patients' satisfaction can be achieved by taking into account the patients' viewpoints; however, better patient education is necessary to shorten postoperative stay.