Frequency of Factors Leading to Elective Surgery Cases Postponement at Tertiary Care Hospital, Karachi: Frequency of Factors Leading to Elective Surgery Cases Postponement

. Superna; Shoaib Malik

doi:10.54393/pjhs.v7i4.3833

Authors

. Superna Department of Anesthesia, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi, Pakistan
Shoaib Malik Department of Anesthesia, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54393/pjhs.v7i4.3833

Keywords:

Elective Surgical Procedures, Operating Rooms, Postponement of Surgery, Perioperative Care

Abstract

Delay of elective surgery is one of the ongoing issues in hospital systems that disrupts the operating room schedule, creates extra healthcare expenses, patient dissatisfaction, and wasteful use of resources. It is necessary to understand the root causes of these delays to make perioperative planning more effective, multidisciplinary coordination more robust, and patient safety more efficient. Objective: To identify the number of factors that cause the delay of the elective cases of surgeries in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Karachi. Methods: The study was a cross-sectional study carried out in Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi. The data were gathered in the form of a structured proforma, which included demographic data that was divided into patient-related, surgeon-related, and anesthesia-related. Sampling involved consecutive sampling. Data analysis was done by use of SPSS version 20. Categorical variables were calculated by frequencies and percentages. The Fisher's exact test was used to determine relationships between postponement factors and demographic factors, where p≤0.05 was regarded as significant. Results: The postponement of elective surgery occurred in 12.1% of patients, and patient-related issues (medication unavailability, refusal, not fasting) were the most common reasons. The causes associated with surgery and anesthesia were less prevalent. The delay was not significantly related to the age, sex, home, or ASA status. Conclusions: Patient-related factors were more effective in influencing elective surgery delays than surgeon or anesthesia-related issues. It can be strengthened by having preoperative assessment, enhancing scheduling coordination, and increasing communication within surgical teams to reduce the rate of postponement.

Author Biography

Shoaib Malik, Department of Anesthesia, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi, Pakistan

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