Elective Surgical Case Cancellation and Reasons in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Cancellation of elective surgical operation recognized as a major cause of emotional trauma to patients as well as their families. In Ethiopia, prevalence and reasons for elective surgical case cancellation are variable from time to time in different settings. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to find the pooled prevalence of elective surgical case cancellation. Besides, it aimed to find reasons for elective surgical case cancellation in Ethiopia. Methods: The databases for the search were Web of Science, PubMed, and Google Scholar by the date 02/08/2020. To assess publication bias Egger's test regression analysis was applied. Results: This meta-analysis included a total of 5 studies with 5591 study participants. The pooled prevalence of elective surgical case cancellation was 21.41% (95% CI: 12.75 to 30.06%).Administration-related (34.50%) was the most common identified reason. Followed by Surgeon (25.29%), Medical (13.90%), and Patient-related reasons (13.34%). Conclusions: The national prevalence of elective surgical case cancellation was considerable. The most common reason for elective surgical case cancellation was administration-related reasons, followed by the surgeon, medical and patient-related reasons. The administrative or management-related reasons for the cancellations are potentially preventable. Thus, efforts should be made to prevent unnecessary cancellations through careful planning.