Purpose: To report the incidence and causes of cataract surgery cancellations in a public hospital. Methods: This is a retrospective study, which examined the number of cancellations of cataract surgery during 2009. We analyzed the type of procedure suspended (phacoemulsification or extracapsular extraction), type of anesthesia, gender, age, covenant (public/private) and the main reasons for suspension of the surgeries (clinical causes, institutional or personal). Results: We analyzed 2,965 scheduled cataract surgeries, with 650 cancellations (21.92%). The main reason for the suspension of the procedure was clinical causes (86.90%). The winter months had the highest suspension rates of cataract surgery. Conclusion: The cancellation rate of cataract surgery in Brazilian public system seems to be the same as 10 years ago. The main cause of the suspension should be in clinical conditions (hypertension, diabetes, lack of exams, etc.).755333336