OUTCOMES OF PAEDIATRIC ENT APPOINTMENT FOR SURGERY

Abstract

Objective:

To find out the average waiting period for elective surgery and turn up rate in paediatric otorhinolaryngology in the Department of GMS Memorial Academy for ENT and Head  & Neck  Studies, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital

Material and methods:

Paediatric ENT appointment register for elective surgery and paediatric ENT surgery register were analyzed from 8th February 2009 to 9th February 2010 to see for the average waiting period for surgery, the turn up rate, reasons for non-attendandce, postpone and cancellations.

Results:

A total number of 417 children had their name in the appointment register for elective surgery. Out of them, 322 children were given date for elective surgery and 95 children were called for chance basis. Fifty-one percentage 195 of children who were dated for elective surgery had an average waiting period of 5-6 months, 182 patients didn’t turn up for the surgery, 30 patients were postponed by prior information, two surgeries were cancelled at the time of operation and eight surgeries were not performed due to other reasons. Out of the 220 patients that underwent surgery, only 68 (31%) patients were dated while the rest were either on chance basis or adjusted due to urgency for surgery due to various regions. The most common surgery performed in the children who were dated was unilateral myringoplasty where as adenotonsillectomy was the most common surgery in the children who were operated on chance basis.

Conclusion:

The average waiting period for elective surgery in paediatric otorhinolaryngology is quite long and the turn up rates in the elective surgery is also not high. To reduce both the parameters and to provide better services to the patients, a pre-admission assessment clinic prior to surgery and provision of an urgency categorization of the disease might be helpful.

Keywords: elective surgery, paediatric patient, waiting period