[Unplanned Return to the Operating Room: An analysis of the quality of the health care].

Introduction: An Unplanned Return to the Operating Room (UROR) is an unplanned surgery performed during the first 30 days as a result of primary surgery. In Chile, the analysis and the UROR rate are quality indicators.

Objective: to describe and analyze UROR in a pediatrics.

Patients and method: Observa tional cross-sectional study. The clinical records of pediatric patients undergoing UROR at the Hos pital Carlos Van Buren over 5 years were reviewed. The incidence, indications, and causes of UROR were analyzed. The causes of UROR were classified as 1) causes attributable to surgical technique, 2) treatment-related causes, 3) the patient pathology, and 4) other causes. In addition, the observance of the case review meetings after an UROR was analyzed.

Results: 23 UROR out of 5,503 surgeries were performed in 5 years, (0.42%). There were 11 UROR out of 3,434 elective surgeries and 12 UROR out of 2,069 emergency ones (0.32% v/s 0.58% respectively, p=NS). There were 2 UROR out of 82 surgeries in newborns, (2.43%, p<0.01). After every UROR, a case review meeting was held. In 18 out of the 23 patients who underwent UROR (78%), the cause was attributable to the surgical technique or planning.

Conclusions: UROR is rare in pediatric surgery, except for the newborn period. Case review meetings are held after every UROR case, according to the national guidelines. The causes of UROR are mostly attributable to the surgical technique or planning.