[Major ambulatory surgery and clinical pathways: a stimulating combination]

The success of major ambulatory surgery (MAS) in Spain is due to the need to shorten the surgical waiting list for procedures of low to medium complexity, and the efficiency, satisfaction and safety that it can obtain. Clinical Pathways (CP) are defined health care plans, supported by scientific evidence, prepared for specific environments, on "Clinical Processes" with, a predictable clinical course, high prevalence and variability. The sequence of all the activities are set out in detail in them, as well as checking the performance of the professionals involved. MAS is performed using strict protocols and coordination between different specialties and health care levels. If CPs have demonstrated their usefulness in elective surgery, it could be assumed that the contribution of CPs could be equally applied to MAS procedures. In this article, we review the methodology for introducing CP into MAS, as well as its obstacles and expectations.