A Canadian question regarding surgery wait time

[bdryer]

Hey fellow Canucks

Got diagnosed with a failing Aorta valve on Oct 14. Got told the angiogram is the next step. Still no appointment. Have a surgeon appointment on Dec 9. The receptionist said surgery would be scheduled 1 1/2 to 4 mths after Dec 9. Lets see, that makes a surgery date somewhere between Jan 20 and Apr 3. The cardiologist said my condition is critical!? Yea right, I'm going to ski my a_ _ off starting next week. Maybe I'll have a heart attack on the mountain and surgery will be Dec 4.

What has been you Canadian surgery waiting experience? My Cardiologist said if I was an American I would have had the surgery in a month. Lets see, Hey I would have had surgery already!

 

[Bina]

So you are seeing the surgeon in 9 days....that is good. Don't let what the receptionist said bother you. NONE of the decisions are up to her. Do you have your echo numbers?
I saw a surgeon in Montreal, had the angio the next day, and surgery 12 days later. Zoom Zoom.

My GP had hinted to me that if I felt chest pain was increasing or my dizzy spells were worse, then I should go to the ER of the hospital where my surgeon was working and just sit there until they called him. It turned out that I didn't need to do that because he was very efficient and saw on the angio that my valve had deteriorated alot since the last echo.

Your Dec. 9 visit will be very important in establishing your urgency.

 

[Penny]

I agree with Bina. It will be up to the surgeon. They look at the echo, your medical history, symptoms to decide how critical it is. I was told the angio is just to make sure they know you have clear arteries as they don't want any surprises when the open you up. Makes sense to me. I saw my surgeon and she said she wanted to act quickly. I had surgery 6 wks later, her idea of quickly was different than mine. Of course I was the one in panic mode

 

[Greg a]

I have to also agree with Bina but for me I was in the hospital on May 8 and surgery May 11 but that was emerg.

Here is where Ontario residents can look http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/public/programs/waittimes/ I don't know about other provinces but they should take this lead I think

 

[bdryer]

Thanks Canucks

Do not have the echo numbers. I know the valve is only opening .6 cm which should be a cause for urgency. Perhaps this will get the surgeons attn. Alrighty, let's see what happens Dec 9.

 

[Greg a]

You are the best one to advocate for expidited treatment

 

[bdryer]

Hi Greg

Outside of checking into emergency, what do you recommend to force an early surgery date?

 

[Greg a]

Bruce, we (my wife and I) told my surgeon that we would go on any WAIT LIST at any of the three hospitals he has priviledges in and be prepared as best we could for any cancellation or opening that appeared from London to Ottawa today I would expand that to Canada http://secure.cihi.ca/cihiweb/products/out_of_province_aib_201003_e.pdf to quote a section of the Canada Health Care Act

Instead of having a single national plan, we have a national program that is composed of 13 interlocking provincial and territorial health insurance plans, all of which share certain common features and basic standards of coverage.

In your case I would even contact Trillium Health Care http://www.trilliumhealthcentre.org/cgi-bin/hse/HomepageSearchEngine.cgi?url=http://www.trilliumhealthcentre.org/programs_services/cardiac_services/mississauga/cardiacSurgery_beatingHeartSurgery.htm;geturl=d+highlightmatches+gotofirstmatch;terms=invasive;enc=invasive;utf8=on#firstmatch about their bloodless Min INvasive Surgeries LEADER IN CANADA

 

[ottagal]

So you are seeing the surgeon in 9 days....that is good. Don't let what the receptionist said bother you. NONE of the decisions are up to her. Do you have your echo numbers?
I saw a surgeon in Montreal, had the angio the next day, and surgery 12 days later. Zoom Zoom.

My GP had hinted to me that if I felt chest pain was increasing or my dizzy spells were worse, then I should go to the ER of the hospital where my surgeon was working and just sit there until they called him. It turned out that I didn't need to do that because he was very efficient and saw on the angio that my valve had deteriorated alot since the last echo.

Your Dec. 9 visit will be very important in establishing your urgency.

Well said Bina! I agree that the surgeon will determine 'the urgency' of your case. Anybody I know who had been to the Heart Facility I was at, were given surgery dates within reasonable time frames. Of course, each case is different and it depends on various factors such as patient symptoms, test results, changes etc.

I was actually given a fairly quick surgery date and I ended up pushing the date back (for a number of reasons and I was also in a bit of denial and dragging my feet).

Good luck with your appt. and let us know how it goes!

 

[bigsidster]

I was diagnosed Oct18 after an angiogram and had surgery in London Ontario on Nov22 and I was .8cm

 

[bdryer]

Hey Cory

.8, I'm .6 and do not even have an angiogram appointment?$&@! I was diagnosed on Oct 14 after the echo and stress tests.

Our nation with the land of the great oil reserves, with a minimally funded health system. Do not get me wrong,we have excellent health care professionals just not enough to support the population due to numerous cut backs.