Schedule the short procedure first to improve OR efficiency.

OPERATING ROOM MANAGERS are hampered in their efforts to optimize OR efficiency by surgical procedures that last a longer or shorter time than scheduled. The lack of predictability is a result of inaccuracy in scheduling and variability in the duration of procedures. SCHEDULING SHORT PROCEDURES before long procedures theoretically limits this variability. MONTE CARLO SIMULATION of ORs scheduled with various combinations of short and long procedures supports this concept's validity. RESULTS INDICATE that scheduling short procedures first can improve on-time performance and decrease staff member overtime expense without reducing surgical throughput.