title: [Cancellation of cataract surgery in a public hospital].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report the incidence and causes of cataract surgery cancellations in a public hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective study, which examined the number of cancellations of cataract surgery during 2009. We analyzed the type of procedure suspended (phacoemulsification or extracapsular extraction), type of anesthesia, gender, age, covenant (public/private) and the main reasons for suspension of the surgeries (clinical causes, institutional or personal).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We analyzed 2,965 scheduled cataract surgeries, with 650 cancellations (21.92%). The main reason for the suspension of the procedure was clinical causes (86.90%). The winter months had the highest suspension rates of cataract surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The cancellation rate of cataract surgery in Brazilian public system seems to be the same as 10 years ago. The main cause of the suspension should be in clinical conditions (hypertension, diabetes, lack of exams, etc.).
authors.affiliation: Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo, São Paulo (SP), Brasil.
authors.forename: Micheli Patrícia de Fátima
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Magri
authors.forename: Rodrigo França de
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Espíndola
authors.forename: Marcony Rodrigues de
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Santhiago
authors.forename: Elisabeth Frolich
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Mercadante
authors.forename: Newton
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kara Júnior
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001938:Brazil; D002387:Cataract Extraction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006779:Hospitals, Public / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D016079:Refusal to Treat / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies