This thesis explored how to reduce surgery cancellations and improve operating room (OR) efficiency in hospitals.
ExtendSim was used to build a discrete event simulation model that tested different OR capacity management policies (dedicated, flexible, and hybrid) under various hospital scenarios. ExtendSim enabled the simulation of patient flows, resource constraints, and scheduling policies, allowing the researcher to compare how different strategies affected cancellations and resource use.
Model results highlight the importance of comprehensive, system-wide coordination and the need to tailor policies to hospital-specific factors. Flexible or hybrid policies generally reduced cancellations and improved utilization, especially when combined with comprehensive scheduling that considers all resources and uncertainties. The simulation revealed that increasing ICU beds (not just ORs) had the biggest impact on the number of surgeries performed.The simulation findings offer actionable guidance for reducing surgery cancellations and improving resource utilization in surgical services.