GYN Surgery Wait Times in Canada, 2020

Our last blog in January will look at Fraser Institute report on medical wait times across 12 specialities in Canada, specifically focused on GYN surgery. In our prior blogs, we looked at Orthopedics and Neurosurgery.

Across Canada, the total wait time for GYN surgery in 2020 was 23.9 weeks. This is an increase of 4.5 weeks, compared to 2019 when the wait was 19.4 weeks. Chart 1 shows GYN surgery wait times 10 years back and also includes 1993 when it was 8.8 weeks.

The report further breaks down wait times into two different segments. Segment 1 is the wait time from referral by a general practitioner to consultation with a specialist. Segment 2 is the wait time from the consultation with a specialist to point at which a patient receives treatment.

The wait time from GP to a specialist was 12.5 weeks, 2.1 weeks longer than in 2019 when it was 10.4 weeks. The wait time from specialist to treatment was 11.4 weeks, up from 9 weeks in 2019. Although GYN surgeries do not take as long as Neurosurgery or Orthopedics, waiting almost 5 months is quite a long time.

As far as which province fares the best, the report states it is SK, where the median patient wait to see a specialist after referral from GP is only 2.5 weeks, and median wait to get treatment after the appointment with a specialist is 7.4 weeks. In other words, the median time to get a GYN surgery in Saskatchewan is 9.9 weeks. Manitoba is in the second-fastest, with a total median wait time of 14.9 weeks.

The longest wait time was in NB – a total of 54.4 weeks from referral by GP to surgery. Please refer to Chart 2 for the rest of the Canadian provinces numbers.

If you are unwilling to wait and would like to explore your private options, we are here to connect you to a reputable medical facility in the US or Canada. Give us a call to find out your options – toll-free 877 344 3544

Chart 1

Chart 2

January 2021 Newsletter

How Long Did Canadians Wait for Medical Treatment in 2020?

2020 has not been kind to many of us. Canadians endured lockdowns and shutdowns, social isolation and other unpleasant life adjustments due to COVID-19. They also endured longer medical wait times as many experienced cancellations of their scheduled elective surgeries.

According to the new report issued by Fraser Institute on December 10, 2020, it is estimated that “the total number of procedures for which people are waiting in 2020 is 1,224,198, an increase of 15% from the estimated 1,064,286 procedures in 2019.” That means that 3.2% of Canadians were waiting for their elective medically necessary treatment last year. Each province has a different percentage of their population waiting – Quebec has the lowest – 1.97% of the population and Nova Scotia is much higher – at 9.97%. Only the province of Manitoba did better in 2020 than in 2019 – their number of people waiting for medical procedures decreased.

The total waiting time between referral from a general practitioner and delivery of medically necessary elective treatment by a specialist averaged across all 12 specialities and 10 provinces surveyed, has risen from 20.9 weeks in 2019 to 22.6 in 2020. This is the longest wait time on record. It is 143% longer than in 1993, when it was just 9.3 weeks.

Each province fared differently in medical wait times, as medical care is in the hands of provincial governments. Province of Ontario had the shortest wait times overall, from GP referral to delivery of medically necessary elective treatment it takes 17.4 weeks. The Maritime provinces had more than double wait of ON – PEI at 46.5 weeks, NS at 43.8 weeks and NB at 41.3 weeks.

Each of the surveyed 12 specialities had different wait times. Plastic surgery (34.1 weeks), Ophthalmology (34.1 weeks), Neurosurgery (33.2 weeks) and Orthopedics (34.1 weeks) had the longest waits. The largest increases in waits between 2019 and 2020 occurred for neurosurgery (+7.7 weeks), ophthalmological surgery (+5.7 weeks), and plastic surgery (+5.4 weeks). There were also decreases. Wait times for patients receiving treatment in fields like orthopaedics (−5.0 weeks), and medical oncology (−0.1 week).

 

 

3 Things to Do While Waiting for Surgery

If you ever had surgery you know it can get a little stressful beforehand. Even before the pandemic, people experience an increase in stress and anxiety anticipating their procedure. Studies show that less stressed patients report better outcomes. During these uncertain times, it can become challenging dealing with all the uncertainties of life, especially if you are not well and are waiting for a medical procedure.

Everyone deserves to be seen as soon as possible. Elective surgeries only sound like a person has a choice whether to proceed or not, while in reality, what that means is that a medical procedure can be scheduled and a person can wait until the scheduled date.  However, we also know that waiting creates unneeded stress and anxiety potentially leading to worse outcomes.

Here are some things to consider while waiting:

  1. Stay in touch with your doctor, physiotherapists or chiropractor. Ask them what you can do while waiting. Depending on your mobility, it may still be possible to go for a walk or do some exercises at home. If the pain becomes unbearable you doctor may recommend another pain management plan. Most doctors can provide phone consultation, and some physiotherapist and chiropractors can help by phone or online instructions on how to exercise safely.
  2. Try to stay physically active. Going for a walk is a great stress reducer. If able, sign up for online yoga classes – some offer chair classes from the comfort of your own home. Some services like Amazon Prime offer free classes as part of your subscription.
  3. Research your private options and get your medical records reviewed. This can provide you with actionable items and you are not obligated to go the private route if your surgery is rescheduled locally in a timely manner.

 

5 Ways to Stay Active in Winter During the Pandemic

We all know that winter brings shorter days, lack of motivation and sunlight to go outside and, in general, hibernation moods. If that was not enough, we are in the middle of the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic. In many parts of Canada going to a workout facility may be out of question and winter in Canada, well, it can be limiting for outdoor activities.

It is, however, very important to stay active. Our mental and physical health are very closely intertwined. A famous Latin expression “Mens sana in corpore sano” – a healthy body can sustain a healthy mind – echoes this notion. Among many benefits of aerobic activity is that it also relieves stress and anxiety by releasing the feel-good hormones during the exercise.

Below are 5 tips to get moving in winter

  1. Bring your workouts indoor – get a virtual exercise membership. If your resources allow, set up a small area in your home where you can practice yoga, place a treadmill or a spin bike. Youtube offers a variety of free workouts such as spin and yoga.
  2. Join your kids or grandkids on their outdoor play. Some fresh air and moving around is sure to follow!
  3. Dress according to the weather and go outside – walk your dogs, have a look around your neighbourhood, observe winter changes at a local park.
  4. Get a group of friends to commit to a winter exercise routine and motivate each other to stay on track.
  5. Embrace the winter! It gives us an opportunity to ski, snowboard, skate, snowshoe, walk (yes, it is still an exercise in winter!) Pick a winter sport you might enjoy and give it a try!

Neurosurgery Wait Times in Canada, 2020

In our previous blog, we brought your attention to 2020 medical wait times for Orthopedic surgery in Canada. In this blog, we will look in more detail at one of the 12 specialities wait times examined by Fraser Institute – Neurosurgery.

Across Canada, the total wait time in 2020 to get neurosurgery was 33.2 weeks. This is an increase of 8.7 weeks, compared to 2019 when the wait was 25.5 weeks. Chart 1 shows Neurosurgery wait times 10 years back and also includes 1993 when it was 12.9 weeks.

The report further breaks down wait times into two different segments. Segment 1 is the wait time from referral by a general practitioner to consultation with a specialist. Segment 2 is the wait time from the consultation with a specialist to point at which a patient receives treatment.

The wait time from GP to a specialist was 21 weeks, again, more than in 2019 when it was 15.7 weeks. The wait time from specialist to treatment was 12.2 weeks, up from 9.7 weeks in 2019. It is the second-longest wait time for the 12 specialities surveyed in 2020.

As far as which province fares the best, the report lists Quebec, where the median patient wait to see a specialist after referral from GP takes 8 weeks, and median wait to get treatment after the appointment with a specialist is 13.7 weeks. In other words, the median time to get neurosurgery in Quebec is 21.7 weeks. Ontario is in the second-fastest, with a total median wait time of 26.9 weeks.

The longest wait time was in Nova Scotia – a total of 70.7 weeks from referral by GP to surgery. Please refer to Chart 2 for the rest of the Canadian provinces numbers.

If you are unwilling to wait and would like to explore your private options, we are here to connect you to a reputable medical facility in the US or Canada. Give us a call to find out your options – toll-free 877 344 3544

Chart 1

Chart 2

Orthopedic Wait Times in Canada 2020

In our previous blog we talked about 2020 medical wait times in Canada. In this blog, we will look in more details at one of the 12 specialities examined by Fraser Institute – Orthopaedics.

Across Canada, for orthopaedics, the total wait time in 2020 was 34.1 weeks. This is a decrease of 5 weeks, compared to 2019 when the wait was 39.1 weeks. Chart 1 shows Orthopedic surgery wait times 10 years back and also includes 1993 when it was 19.5 weeks.

The report further breaks down wait times into two different segments. Segment 1 is the wait time from referral by a general practitioner to consultation with a specialist. Segment 2 is the wait time from the consultation with a specialist to point at which a patient receives treatment.

The wait time from GP to a specialist was 13.2, again, less than in 2019 when it was 14.6. The wait time from specialist to treatment was 20.9 weeks down from 24.5 weeks in 2019. Although it is one of the longest wait time for the 12 specialities surveyed in 2020 (shared by Plastic Surgery and Ophthalmology), it is definitely an improvement over the last year.

As far as which province fares the best, the report lists ON, where the median patient wait to see a specialist after referral from GP takes 8 weeks, and median wait to get treatment after the appointment with a specialist is 18.2 weeks. In other words, the median time to get an orthopaedic surgery in Ontario is 26.2 weeks. The province of Saskatchewan came very close, it takes longer to see a specialist (median 20 weeks), but faster to get surgery (6.3 weeks) a total of 26.3 weeks.

The longest wait time was in NS – a total of 57.6 weeks from referral by GP to surgery. Please refer to Chart 2 for the rest of the Canadian provinces numbers.

If you are unwilling to wait and would like to explore your private options, we are here to connect you to a reputable medical facility in the US or Canada. Give us a call to find out your options – toll-free 877 344 3544

Chart 1

Chart 2

How Long Can You Wait?

2020 has not been kind to many of us. Canadians endured lockdowns and shutdowns, social isolation and other unpleasant life adjustments due to COVID-19. They also endured longer medical wait times as many experienced cancellations of their scheduled elective surgeries.

According to the new report issued by Fraser Institute on December 10, 2020, it is estimated that “the total number of procedures for which people are waiting in 2020 is 1,224,198, an increase of 15% from the estimated 1,064,286 procedures in 2019.” That means that 3.2% of Canadians were waiting for their elective medically necessary treatment last year. Each province has a different percentage of their population waiting – Quebec has the lowest – 1.97% of the population and Nova Scotia is much higher – at 9.97%. Only the province of Manitoba did better – their number of people waiting for medical procedures decreased.

The total waiting time between referral from a general practitioner and delivery of medically necessary elective treatment by a specialist averaged across all 12 specialities and 10 provinces surveyed, has risen from 20.9 weeks in 2019 to 22.6 in 2020. This is the longest wait time on record. It is 143% longer than in 1993 when it was just 9.3 weeks.

Each province fared differently in medical wait times, as medical care is in the hands of provincial governments. Province of Ontario seems to have the shortest wait times overall, from GP referral to delivery of medically necessary elective treatment it takes 17.4 weeks. The Maritime provinces had more than double wait of ON – PEI at 46.5 weeks, NS at 43.8 weeks and NB at 41.3 weeks.

Each of the 12 specialities had different wait times. Plastic surgery (34.1 weeks), Ophthalmology (34.1 weeks), Neurosurgery (33.2 weeks) and Orthopedics (34.1 weeks) had the longest waits. The largest increases in waits between 2019 and 2020 occurred for neurosurgery (+7.7 weeks), ophthalmological surgery (+5.7 weeks), and plastic surgery (+5.4 weeks). There were also decreases. Wait times for patients receiving treatment in fields like orthopaedics (−5.0 weeks), and medical oncology (−0.1 week).

In our next blog, we will look at wait times in orthopaedics in more detail. If you are unwilling to wait for your surgery and are able to travel outside of your province, we can help connect you with a private facility in the US or Canada. Please note that only a few private options are available in Canada. Give us a call to find out more details. Toll-free 877 344 3544.