Changes in the Operating Program: Incidence, Causes and Consequences

Abstract

Introduction: The changes of the operative program lead to inefficient use of available operating ranges, and waste of resources. Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the incidence, causes in the changes of the operating program and any consequences in order to find appropriate solutions for better patient management. Materials and Methods: It was of a study conducted in the potential services of anesthesiology of the Mohammed V military hospital in Rabat. Was included in the study changes the operating program (refusal, addition). Were excluded all the changes in the other operating sites. For any changes was completed farm return. The collected parameters were: age, sex, ASA, categories, the service concerns by adaptations, causes, the timing of the change and patient’s outcomes. Results: From November 2020 to May 2021; 3620 were scheduled for elective surgical operations. Of these, 320 (8, 8 %) patient’s operations were cancelled and 252 (7%) were added. The Urology department had the highest rate of cancellations (23, 4%). Causes related to patients represented 50 % of cancellation’s rate, followed by causes related to the surgery 40% and finally those related to anesthesia in 10% of all cancellations. The absence of the patient during the intervention was the most common patient-related reason for cancellation (78.1 %), the most common surgery reason was not a sufficient time frame (55.5 %) and finally the non-availability of blood and up ICU (25% each), were those related to anesthesia. Conclusion: Changes in the operating program rate were high in comparison with reported rate worldwide. Efforts should be made for planning, programming and coordination between the different actors involved in the operational planning.