No matter the industry, it’s appreciated if you can give someone a heads up that you need to cancel on them. Whether that’s your hairdresser, your mechanic or a friend you’ve arranged a playdate with, the earlier you let them know you need to cancel or reschedule, the better it is for all involved parties. Cancel too late or no show, and people end up wasting time and effort on a lost cause.
This same sentiment holds true when it comes to knee replacement surgery. You may assume that not many patients cancel their knee replacement procedure, but the data says otherwise. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at the economic impact of cancelled knee replacement operations, and we explore why people end up cancelling their appointment.
Cancelling Your Knee Replacement Procedure
To learn more about the economic impact of knee replacement cancellations, we turn our attention to a study overseas. A study led by researchers at the University of Bristol’s National Institute for Health and Care Research (NICR) looked at cancellation data across six hospitals in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland over a period of five years between April 2018 and March 2023.
The study revealed that over the course of five years, the hospitals performed 17,233 total knee replacement procedures and saw 9,403 cancelled procedures, which was higher than originally thought. According to researchers, each operation cancelled on short notice costs the National Health Service a lost tariff of between £6,500 and £11,000 (~$8,644 – $14,630 USD). That adds up to over £15.5 million across the six hospitals over five years.
Additional findings from the study include:
- 25% of the cancellations were less than 24 hours before surgery
- Nearly 33% of cancellations were within 2-14 days before surgery
- Lack of available hospital beds and patients being unfit for surgery were the most common reasons for short-notice cancellations
- Heart problems, infections and wounds were the main health reasons for cancelling surgery
- Cancellations only make it harder for people to get timely care. Currently, more than three million people are waiting more than 18 weeks for non-urgent NHS surgery
While the waiting list for elective surgery isn’t usually as long here in America, we too deal with the financial burden of surgeries that are cancelled at the last minute. While a mechanic may be able to slip another car in for an oil change when a customer cancels at the last minute, the same can’t be said for surgeons, their care staff and patients who are waiting for their elective procedure. Patients and doctors need to do what they can to ensure they are ready for the procedure when the time comes.
For patients, that really means working to become a healthier version of themselves and following the doctor’s instructions. If you don’t lose weight as directed, you can’t get your blood sugar under control or you continue taking medications that you’ve been told to stop taking by your doctor, there’s a possibility that your care team will have no choice but to cancel your operation because surgery is too risky. We understand that not every element is within your control, but proactive planning and staying in touch with your care team about best practices in the weeks and months leading up to your procedure can help avoid unnecessary cancellations.
To learn more about knee replacement surgery and the options that are available to you, connect with Dr. Botero and his team today at (865) 410-7887.
