Same-Day Cancellations of Anesthesia-Assisted Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Children: A Seven-Year Retrospective Analysis and Assessment of a Preoperative Evaluation Clinic

Background/Objectives: As demand for pediatric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) continues to increase, anesthesia assistance is often required for children who cannot cooperate. This study described the incidence and causes of same-day cancellations and evaluated the impact of a Preoperative Evaluation Clinic (PEC) for children undergoing elective MRI under sedation or general anesthesia at a tertiary-level children’s hospital. Methods: This single-center retrospective study reviewed children scheduled for elective anesthesia-assisted MRI at the Montreal Children’s Hospital between January 2013 and December 2019. Same-day cancellations were included, and reasons for cancellation were categorized as preventable, possibly preventable, or unpreventable. A pilot anesthesia-led PEC operated from January 2018 to December 2019, and its effect on same-day MRI cancellations was assessed. Results: Of 4518 MRIs scheduled between 2013 and 2019, 549 (12.2%) were canceled on the same day, with the annual cancellation rate declining from 14.6% in 2013 to 9.4% in 2019. Possibly preventable patient illness and no-shows accounted for 61% of cancellations. Of 1383 MRIs scheduled in 2018–2019, 602 (43.5%) were assessed in the PEC and 781 (56.5%) were not. Same-day cancellation occurred in 131/1383 (9.5%) cases: 48/602 (8.0%) in the PEC group versus 83/781 (10.6%) in the non-PEC group (p = 0.07). PEC attendance was associated with fewer no-shows (1.0% versus 2.8%, p = 0.017). Conclusions: Patient illness and no-shows were the main causes of same-day cancellations. PEC attendance was associated with fewer no-show cancellations, although this trend cannot be attributed to a specific intervention and should be interpreted with caution. Alternative cost-effective interventions should be explored to further reduce same-day MRI cancellations.