Retrospective analysis of surgery postponed or cancelled in the operating room.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the reasons for postponement or cancellation of surgery in the operating room (OR), and to determine the effect on patient outcomes.


METHODS
Retrospective analysis.


METHODS
University-affiliated hospital.


METHODS
Over a 5-year period, 45,663 surgeries requiring anesthesia occurred. Surgery was postponed or cancelled in the OR for 67 patients (0.15%). Airway problems, change in medical condition, and change in surgical condition were the reasons recorded. Each patient's surgical result was audited using medical charts and telephone calls for at least 6 months.


RESULTS
33 cases (49.3%) were postponed from one day to 6 months (range, one to 165 days; median, 8 days). The scheduled surgeries for 21 (31.3%) patients were never performed; and 9 patients (13.4%) died during their hospitalization (range, one to 20 days; mean, 12.7 days).


CONCLUSIONS
Surgery was postponed or cancelled in the OR mainly for changes in medical condition (70.2%); either medical risk outweighed the benefits of surgery, or alternative treatments were used.
Lau
Hon-Kit
HK
Department of Anesthesiology, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung 407, Taiwan.
Chen
Tsai-Hsin
TH
Liou
Cher-Ming
CM
Chou
Ming-Chih
MC
Hung
Wei-Te
WT
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit; D008875:Middle Aged; D009873:Operating Rooms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013997:Time Factors