Surgery cancelled whilst in the waiting room.

[Skinnyplaits]

Has this happened to anyone else? I was up at 5am this morning to get there. Childcare arranged and DH and family prepped. Meals sorted, club lifts arranged, work arranged and everything. I was sitting in the surgery admissions area at 7:15 and I got a call saying my surgery was cancelled. The surgeon has pulled his back. I have waited so long and I'm devastated.

Its taken me until now to get home and I'm back at my desk working with a very grumpy employer.

This happened to my husband, he was in the bed on the ward in his gown waiting to go in when they came out and said they didn't have an anaesthetist available so they sent him home

This happened to me. I was there from 8am until 2pm and in the gown with leg painted with pink antiseptic stuff, then cancelled. Knee surgery. I was rescheduled a few weeks later and it worked out. The worst part was I had organised everything etc and I was SO hungry.

I’d rather be operated on by a fit surgeon than one who is in pain or whose movement is restricted by an injury. We’re talking about the difference between a successful op and one that potentially leaves you damaged or disabled afterwards.

I had two postponements when waiting for the surgery I’ve recently undergone, one two days before and the other three days before. Mine were because people more ill than me needed surgery quickly. I’m just pleased I wasn't them.

My work has had to pay someone to cover me while I’m away (long recovery time) and they were nothing but understanding. I’m sorry yours aren’t. But there’s nothing anyone can do. I hope it’s not too long before you get your op.

Saw it when I was junior doctor- surgeon had been in a serious car crash on the way to work. He never worked again.

Horrible situation, but file it under the annoying and disappointing bit, and then carry on. Nothing else you can do. It's not as if they can have a spare surgeon on standby for elective surgery.

Hope it's rescheduled soon

Yes, but now I've had my op it doesn't seem to matter in the great scheme of things.

Happened twice to my father. He would have needed a high dependancy bed to recover and they were not available. Once happened when he was being wheeled into the operating room

Omg, how sobering to read this. Terrible

Really common - I think more often it's because someone more urgent jumps the queue. Hope you get another date soon!

Sorry it’s really shit and it happened to me once, but how did it take you <2 hours to get there and 9 hours to get back? Is the M25 closed again?!

Yes it happened to me last week - 24 hours with no food, I felt very sad! I’m back in today though and first on the list

Yep, twice for the same operation. Both admin errors. One they had put the wrong leg on one of the many forms. So had to abort (I was in the gown, with the sharpy marks and had already had the first medication needed) the second time I was again, in the gown, not yet medicated, and they realized the surgeon they had booked was not qualified to do all parts of the operation.

Both times cost me a significant amount of time, money and stress.

Happened to me years ago. I was meant to be first on the table in the morning so was admitted the night before. Was in a gown, on a bed waiting to go down when I was told op cancelled and to go home.
It was because someone had come in with something way more urgent and my surgeon was needed there.

Selfishly I was a bit upset initially because I’d waited a long time but I’m glad the urgent case was seen quickly.
I was rebooked a few weeks later and that went as planned.

She was there at 7:15 and posted at 9:33 - how is that nine hours?

Sorry this happened but OP, but it's a fact of life and you'll be given a new date and time soon. Not sure why your employer is grumpy though? Because you were supposed to be off? I think I would have taken today off anyway.

My dad was recently in hospital with cancer. It happened to him and other men in his ward multiple times in a couple of months.

Sometimes cancelled the morning, sometimes when they were already prepped and waiting.

Its awful, happened twice to my 4 year old. In a gown, numbed up, starving. Follow up childcare and time off work for both parents arranged for their recovery.

Plus the emotional toll of trying to explain it all to a child. Not ashamed to say I cried on the ward clark the 2nd time.

At least as an adult you understand and can ( hopefully!) Handle hunger better. But its still a huge inconvenience even when you understand. Hope you are sorted soon.

My partner was cancelled in the waiting room too. Car accident victims understandably needed the space.

Every time I've had a day surgery procedure where one turns up early and waits to be seen, I've been seen last, late afternoon/ early evening. I hate going through those long anxious hours without drinking. Can any medics here tell me how the list is prioritised?

Yes, it happened to me recently. The hospital didn’t have enough staff to safely run the theatre list. I was very upset but they got me back in 2 days later and I was first on the list. It was infuriating but doesn’t matter now my surgery is done safely. I had excellent care from everyone.

My friend was due a knee replacement . I was to be in the next county
( 45/50 ish miles ) her husband had driven her there and was going to be staying in a hotel for a night or two , she was on the ward gained and prepped and then told cancelled and she could leave , she actually refused to leave and they managed to either squeeze her in or another surgeon did it .

Its very sobering to think of the poor surgeon who was in a car crash. Its just very disappointing as it wasn't elective surgery but cleft surgery as my nose has collapsed. I have been waiting for 18 months with my nose all crooked and I can't breathe through it.

I'm trying to be as measured and calm as I can but inside I just want to scream and cry. Hopefully it'll be soon and it won't matter when I have recovered.

The hospital have been calling all the previous week warning me that if I didn't turn up, they'd discharge me to my GP. I did , but they didn't with no recourse.

I was shocked - had day surgery 4 weeks ago and was actually first on the list! Probably a good job as what should have been very straightforward ended up taking over 3 hours. I really hope no-one ended up being cancelled because my op over-ran, but obviously have no idea.

Unfortunately I'm back in again in 3 weeks time for another surgery. I was "squeezed" onto the list as it had somehow been missed that I needed repeat surgery until I phoned asking for the day, so it's already a week later than it should be. Who knows where I'll end up on the list next time! But as someone who's had around 25 surgeries I've been first, last and everywhere in the middle. The wait is horrible, especially when you're starving. I've also been cancelled too, although fortunately because I was admitted it was then done the following day.

Surgeries are cancelled at the last minute for a variety of reasons.
Mostly due to inadequate resources to meet needs after decades of austerity.

Happened to me three months ago when my hospital declared a critical incident due to the heat wave.

My surgery was cancelled on the morning I was due to have it and rescheduled for a month later. Now all done.

It is very annoying but can’t be helped unless the NHS gets much better funding but even then it is like turning a supertanker and nothing will happen quickly.

Hope you get your surgery very soon OP.

I had similar. Was up early, got to hospital about an hour away. Sat in waiting room to be told operation had to be cancelled. They didn't have enough beds for us for the following 3 night stay. It was disappointing but no one fault and just one of those things. Be kind to yourself today.

I once had some surgery cancelled after waiting all day in a hospital bed. I was starving as I had had nothing to eat or drink all day. Apparently the surgery before mine was complicated and took longer than expected. The surgeon came to see me and was extremely apologetic.

Fortunately, managed to get a cancellation a few days later.

Family member had his cancelled while he was in the theatre.

A family friend in his 80s, had his cancelled this morning, for the 7th time in 18 months. Two hour drive to get there, luckily he has a few family members who can take him there or he'd have to go the night before on a bus. Genuinely fear he won't make an 8th and if he does he will be too underweight, due to not having this surgery, and he still won't get it.

All too common.