Causes of ocular surgery cancellation and the need of anesthesia preoperative medicine clinic [APMC]

To evaluate the causes of cancellation rate of elective ocular surgeries in our tertiary care center and to analyze the need of Anesthesia Preoperative Medicine Clinic [APMC]. We conducted a prospective study from January 21, 2006 till 30 June, 2006 at King Fahad Armed Forces Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The selected patients for the surgery have gone through pre operative investigations including CBC, Random blood sugar, Coagulation profile, renal functions tests, Urea and Electrolytes, IOL calculation and their medical condition assessment for the chronic disease. Study was conducted on 240 patients from whom 180 were adults and 60 were pediatrics. Out of 240 patients 45 patients were cancelled in which 40 were adults and 5 were pediatric patients. In 45 patients 23 were male and 22 were female having a ratio of 1:1. Age was ranging from one year to 60 + an average of 58 years. Surgeries include was anterior segment, pediatric, retinal and oculoplastic. All these patients 45 / 240 were postponed at a percentage of 19%. The causes of cancellation were, Improper control of Diabetes, Poor control of hypertension, Cardiac problem, chest infection or influenza in children, overburden list and miscellaneous. All these patients were cancelled by anesthetist [28 patients], by surgeon [9Patients] and medical team [8 Patients] in the ward as the patients were high risk for the surgeries. So the reason in maximum patient was the lack of anesthesia preoperative medicine clinic. The number of cancellation of ocular surgery can be minimized by proper assessment of the patient at anesthesia pre-operative medicine clinic [APMC]