Background: The cancellation of elective surgeries on the intended day leads to inefficiencies in resource utilization, increased hospital costs, and emotional distress for patients. This study aims to evaluate the incidence and causes of elective surgical cancellations at Government Medical College Srinagar.
Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted over 18 months. Data were collected from two operation theatres of the Department of General Surgery. Reasons for cancellations were categorized as medical related, patient-related, administrative-related, or inadequate patient preparation.
Results: Out of 1600 scheduled surgeries, 145 surgeries (9%) were cancelled. The leading causes included medical factors (40.68%), administrative reasons (35.86%), patient-related factors (12.41%), and inadequate preparation (11.03%). High blood pressure (32.2%) was the most common medical reason, while overload scheduling (55.8%) was the predominant administrative reason.
Conclusion: A significant proportion of surgical cancellations were avoidable, emphasizing the need for enhanced preoperative screening, optimized scheduling strategies, and improved hospital resource allocation to minimize cancellations.
International Journal of Clinical Obstetrics and Gynaecology
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