Objective To discuss how to determine the operative margin in breast-conserving surgery in patient with early-stage breast cancer. Methods The breast-conserving surgery was performed on 111 patients with early-stage breast cancer who met the indication of breast-conserving. The operative incision was performed on normal breast tissue 1cm from the tumour edge and then the frozen sections of the surgical margin tissue were done to confirm that tumour was completely excised. The individualized therapy was performed according to pathologic examination and clinical stage. All patients were followed up regularly. Results 111 patients with early stage breast cancer received breast-conserving surgery and all had good curative effect except one patient had a local recurrence during the follow-up. Conclusions Operative incision on normal breast tissue 1cm from the tumour edge and frozen section of the surgical margin tissue are two crucial procedures to ensure the success of breast-conserving surgery and increase the life quality of patient with breast cancer.