Factors for Postponement or Cancellation of Operating Programs Set in the Orthopedics-Traumatology Department of Yalgado Ouédraogo University Teaching Hospital in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso)

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this work was to study the factors of cancellations or postponement of regulated operating programs of the Orthopedic-Traumatology unit of Yalgado Ouédraogo University Teaching Hospital. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective descriptive study over a period of six months. All interventions postponed or canceled during the study period were included. Patients who died or were lost to follow-up before surgery were not included. Results and Comments: the postponement/ cancellation rate was 24.5%. Out of 83 operations cancelled, 72.3% of patients were under 50 years old [extreme 15 and 88 years old]. ASA classes I and II were dominant with 57% and 37% of patients canceled, respectively. There were more postponed interventions (67.5%) than definitive cancellations (32.5%). The causes found were avoidable in 68.7% of cases. The most common was the unavailability of labile blood products (57%), the lack of financial means (36%) and the absence of the patient (28%). The results of our study show that 53% of the causes of cancellations were related to the organization of the hospital. Conclusion: the cancellation rate of orthopedic surgeries remains high at Yalgado Ouédraogo University Teaching Hospital. Most of the causes of cancellations are potentially preventable and the vast majority of them are related to the organization of the hospital. Financial accessibility to care plays an important role in cancellations.