Magnitude and reasons of surgery cancellation among elective surgical cases in Wolaita Sodo University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Southern Ethiopia, 2021

Abstract

Background Cancellations of cases are common; most of those cancellations are due to avoidable causes. It is a major cause of psychological trauma for patients and their families. Although little is known in Ethiopia, the aim of this study is aimed to assess the prevalence and the cause of elective surgery cancellation. Methods A cross-sectional prospective study design was conducted on 326 patients scheduled for elective surgery from October 1 to December 1st. All consecutive elective surgical cases scheduled during the study period were included in the study. Data were collected using a prepared and pretested questionnaire and entered into SPSS version 23 for analysis. The result of the study was reported in the form of text, tables, and graphs. Result During the study, 326 patients were scheduled for elective surgery, among those, 83(25.6%) of surgery was canceled. Patient-related (31.32%) and administrative-related (26.5%) factors were the two most causes of cancellation. Conclusion Patient-related and administrative-related factors were the leading causes of cancellation of elective surgical operations in our hospital. Concerned bodies should bring a sustainable change and improvement to prevent unnecessary cancellations and enhance cost-effectiveness through communications, careful planning and efficient utilization of the available hospital resources.

Incidence and root causes of surgery cancellations at an academic medical center in Iran: a retrospective cohort study on 29,978 elective surgical cases

“…Another common reason for cancellation on surgery’s day in this hospital was that patients did not follow guidelines, consistent with studies conducted worldwide [ 25 , 26 ].…”

Prevalence and Causes of Elective Surgery Cancellations After Patients are Taken to the Operating Room: A Prospective, Cross-Sectional Study

“…Previous studies grouped the causes of surgery cancellations as patient-related, facility-related, and surgery-related. 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 , 19 , 20 The characteristics of patients, hospital facilities, medical and administrative staff, and the socioeconomic status of patient populations have been cited as the primary components of patient-related, facility-related, and surgery-related causes resulting in surgery cancellations. 21 We did not use such stratifications due to the narrower focus of the study, which addressed only the cancellations made once the patient was taken to the operating room.…”

“… 2 , 4 Identifying the factors that cause the cancellation of elective surgeries is important in determining the appropriate strategies for improving patient satisfaction, operating room resources, and perception of quality of care. 5 It has been stated that most of the reasons given for elective surgery cancellations could be prevented or potentially avoided via early assessment and meticulous planning and coordination before the patients to be operated on were hospitalized. 1 , 5 , 6 , 7 …”

“… 5 It has been stated that most of the reasons given for elective surgery cancellations could be prevented or potentially avoided via early assessment and meticulous planning and coordination before the patients to be operated on were hospitalized. 1 , 5 , 6 , 7 …”

An audit on surgery cancellation in a teaching hospital

“…For example, in our study the number one reason for cancellations was the unavailability of surgical consultants where in India was shortage of operating time[ 3 ] and in Ethiopia was patient-related reasons. [ 6 ] It is of high importance to understand the causes of cancellations to be able to find solutions to reduce the rate of cancellations. [ 2 ]…”