Why Do Patients Blow Off Their Surgeries?
They don't have a ride home or maybe they're getting cold feet.
N
obody's ever that surprised when a patient cancels surgery.
What's not expected are the panoply of reasons patients give
for not showing up for their cases. Surgeon and staff are all
too familiar with the stock reasons — "I got confused and got the
dates mixed up" or "I was given the wrong instructions" or "The dog
ate the keys." A few other unusual (and notable) excuses:
'Couldn't find a ride home'
Patients usually book their cases weeks in advance. And they
are fully informed of the need to establish transportation to their resi-
dence. Yet, the evening before surgery they mysteriously are unable to
find someone to take them home.
Gimme a break. Ever hear of Uber? Don't you have any friends?
Could you humble yourself to ask in-laws? I'll take you home!
'I am having second thoughts'
It's amazing how often shoulder pain morphs from "It's killing
me" to "I can live with it." Wait a second. Is this the same patient
who literally couldn't sleep for 3 weeks? The same patient who need-
ed oxycodone in order to watch Sports Center? The same patient who
likened his shoulder pain to "an ice pick rotating slowly deep into my
arm?" (Ugh!)
Once I tried to console a patient who was about to undergo an ACL
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Cutting Remarks
John D. Kelly IV, MD
One can never coerce someone into having
elective surgery. I just wish the patient would give me
more than 2 hours' notice that he's canceling!
