Background : The critical pathway(CP) is the standardized practice guideline as a quality healthcare. CP increase the patient's outcome by providing comprehensive treatment. Although there are many studies on the effectiveness of CP for laparoscopic cholecystectomy, no research has been reported on how it affects the patient's pain level within patients' hospital stay. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of CP,especially the severity of pain.

Methods : From January 2023 to December 2023，560 patients underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Patients were divided into two groups, including 270 patients in the CP group and 290 patients in the non-CP group. In a retrospective review, patient's outcomes were analyzed and compared for both groups.

Results : Number of hospitalized days was 1.34 day for the CP group and 1.72 days for the Non-CP group with p<0.001. The maximum pain within the hospital stay was 4.9 VAS points in the CP group and 5.2 points in the non-CP group. The average pain within the hospital stay was 3.12 VAS points in the CP group and 3.16 VAS points in the non-CP group, so there was no difference.

Conclusions : CP is a good protocol for fast recovery after surgery. In particular, the maximum pain within the hospital stay was less in patients who applied CP. Although there was no significant difference in average pain, the length of stay was short, which means that even with CP, less pain and faster discharge are possible. This is considered to be a good outcome for widespread application of CP in laparoscopic cholecystectomy.