Cancellation of elective surgery and its associated factors among scheduled patients at Debre Markos Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Amhara Region, North West Ethiopia: a cross-sectional explanatory mixed-methods approach

A substantial number of elective surgeries were cancelled on the day they were scheduled. Key contributing factors included patients' medical conditions, health insurance status, place of residence, availability of preoperative laboratory tests, overscheduling and lack of recovery beds. To reduce cancellations, healthcare stakeholders should enhance preoperative assessments, schedule procedures based on estimated surgical duration and ensure the availability of essential operating room resources.