ABSTRACT
Aim: To determine the frequency, the causes and the associated factors of the surgical cancellation of scheduled surgeries at the Hospital Base Valdivia between the years 2014 and 2018. Materials and Method: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out. Were described the frequency of suspension of scheduled surgeries of the establishment, by specialty and their main causes, identifying those that can be avoided. In addition, the factors associated with suspension were identified by logistic regression. Results: The suspension rate in the 5 years of study was 11.2%. Neurosurgery and Traumatology had the highest frequency of surgical cancellation (18.8% y 13.9%, respectively), Obstetrics, and Gynecology the lowest (4.1%). The most frequent causes of suspension were the absence of the patient (16.9%), the prolongation of the previous surgery (16.4%) and the suspension of activities due to Union reasons (7.9%). 80.1% of the causes were avoidable. The age and surgical specialty were the most relevant associated factorsmDiscussion: A high rate of surgical suspensions and most for avoidable reasons were evident. Reducing surgical cancellations can be the most cost effective intervention to help reduce the extensive post-health crisis surgical waiting lists by COVID 19, as it only requires optimizing existing resources. Conclusions: Surgical suspension is a common problem in the surgical process. Our results allow to identify the groups most at risk of suspension, assign responsibilities to surgical teams and develop effective strategies for their prevention. © 2022, Sociedad de Cirujanos de Chile. All rights reserved.