Frustrated with Alberta Provincial health care system

[bdryer]

Welcome to the provincial health care system of Canada. Take a number please. We have great Dr's, nurses and healthcare workers but an inefficient system.

Quick back ground: Critical aortic stenoses of .6cm sq and and ascending aorta aneurism of 4.5 cm. Diagnosed Oct 14/10.

Angiogram with no faults found and CT scan with unknown results, completed along with required lab tests.

Jan 12, was the pre-admittance clinic for the pending open heart surgery. This involved another X-ray with more blood tests. Could this have been Christmas with the gift of a surgery date? Tossed and turned all night long. Showed up at the clinic showered and exhausted at 07:00 hrs. Nope, nay, not today was the answer.

OK flash back to Oct 14 where the cardiologist after diagnosis said I will have surgery before the end of Dec. Flash back to Dec 9 when the surgeon said I will have surgery before the end of Jan. Called the surgeons office after leaving the clinic sans date, to see if I would be scheduled next week. Ain't going to happen she said. Well it's not the end of Jan yet. Apparently my surgeon operates on Mon and Tue of each work week. That leaves the 24,25 and 31 as available days. Feel like I'm planning a vacation looking for a, "last minute seat sale".

Walked away with a lab requisition for the final lab test for the pending blood transfusion. I suppose that was the consolation prize. If I had a date, it would have been done on Jan 12 with the other blood tests. Great, get to waste another morning in the lab when I get the date hanging for another punctured vein.

If I had written this for the guys only, it would have ben A LOT spicier! I would have elaborated on the nostril and rectal swab accomplished by the female nurse using dry abrasive q-tips, so I could be checked for the "super bug". WOW I learned something, the super bug lives where the sun don't shine and the air is bad! Perhaps I would have described how the hot female physiotherapist had to show me not once, but 50 times how to get in and out of bed after surgery. But no, because it's unisex, it's dry and boring. Instead I'm going for sympathy. LOL! Sorry I just can't resist being me!

I am using this wait time coordinating with the Canadian On-X rep and the surgeons office, in anticipation of being implanted with an On-X AV. If it happens I believe I will be the hospitals first On-X recipient. A risk I'm willing to take. I'm not naive and know fully another valve may be implanted.

Any other members getting jerked around in your country or province, regarding a confirmed surgery date?

 

[bdryer]

Hey Duffman reflecting back to the other nights chat; just so you know, during the pre-admittance clinic, the physiotherapist ripped me a new one regarding what I thought was a safe pre surgery exercise regime. I have toned the program down even further and "NO" I'm not doing full time couch time! I've still got my easy peezy dead mans float swim program, glass pedal stationary bike spin, my geriatric walking shuffle and light calisthenics regime.

I see the cardiologist on Monday and will request an echo. I want to know if the AS or aneurism has degraded. Any one have stats showing AS or an ascending aorta aneurism degradation over 3 months?

 

[normofthenorth]

I'm pretty sure my AS showed significant change within a 3-month period. Are Echos any good at estimating Aortic aneurisms? I thought they needed a CT or an angio/cath (or maybe an MRI) to measure that reasonably accurately.

Sorry your provincial health-care system stinks. Your AS sounds like it's cause for replacing your AV pretty soon. OTOH, an AR at 4.5cm may or may not trigger a Bentall procedure. If it deteriorates before surgery, it may save you some trouble later. Maybe. Can't your government be embarrassed about providing a second-rate health-care system? The issue of surgical wait times has certainly caused political grief, and gotten a response, federally and in Ontario. . .

 

[bigsidster]

Bdryer I feel for you.I was diagnosed on Oct 18 in Ontario and had my surgery Nov 22.Maybe you have to lie and go into emergency with chest pain?May get you a bed and then they will relook at your stats?Good luck.My son lives in Edmonton.

 

[Penny]

Wow, this must be so very frustrating for you. I hope that you will notify them right away if you don't feel well. I was told that if for some reason my surgery date were to get changed that was due to someone who was in a life or death situation and they would bump me to another day. Maybe there are several surgeons in your city and obviously limited space in the O.R. You would also have to take into consideration the volume of patients waiting may be high. Its crazy that the lack of rooms/staff/funding in our hospitals only truly affect the patients. The city where my surgery was done had 5 surgeons all operating out of the same hospital. They did 2 per day but I am not sure as to how many per week. I imagine that it very simular where you are.
One would think that your surgeon would give you some what of an explanation as to why you aren't being offered a surgery date. I would be on the phone pronto asking questions, but that is just me...
Good luck!

 

[normofthenorth]

Unfortunately, long wait-lists are GREAT for hospitals and surgeons and OR staff, etc., because they can do solid long-term planning. They can even squeeze in the urgent cases when necessary. No down-time. If you build a bit more capacity, you'll occasionally have idle time, which is bad for the bottom line and creates other problems.

That's why the PATIENTS -- and the VOTERS in a place where the government has a prominent role -- have to make sure that surgical wait times are painful to their elected (and non-elected) officials. That's already happened in Canadian federal politics (the feds have a role in maintaining minimum standards etc.) and in Ontario provincial (=~ "state") politics, and the response has been beneficial. I've certainly seen embarrassing press coverage of the sorry situation in Alberta, but I'm not sure the Powers That Be are feeling the pain yet. Alberta usually re-elects the same political party over and over for decades, so the lack of a credible threat of getting thrown out of office may be part of the problem. One more thing I'm no expert on. . .

 

[bdryer]

normofthenorth, I was one of the majority who voted continually for the government. NEVER AGAIN WILL THEY RECEIVE MY VOTE!!! They destroyed the healthcare system to save a buck and they still continue to run a deficit. This thread is not about politics, although that is the underlying cause of "no firm surgery date", it's about me getting to the front of the line. So far the only tip was and even the cardiologist told me, if you want to get done check into emergency. He said I would wait about a week and I should have the surgery.

I'm going to contact the social worker whom I met on Jan 12 at the pre-admittance clinic and see if she can go to work for me.

One thing about this obtrusive delay, is that I found this web site, joined up and got one hell of an education! At least I have had time to work with the Canadian On-X rep, in the "hopes" of being implanted with what I believe is the new standard in MHV design.

I see the cardiologist tomorrow afternoon. I'm going to call the surgeons office and request that my CT scan, angiogram and x-ray results are made available for MY review. I don't know if a cardiologist is able to put the spurs to the surgeons wait list, but I will make the request.

Once again, any further suggestions will be appreciated.

 

[Freddie]

If your Cardio has any balls........darn rights he can put the spur's to the surgeon. That's what happened to me and had surgery in 5 days.

Keep in mind that an echo is just an estimate (my cardio told me this). If the numbers have really changed since your last echo, further tests would have to be done.

Also, I recently found out that there is a "patient advocate" here at R.U.H. Maybe there is one for you at 'that' hospital.

If all else fails, go to Edmonton.

 

[ShezaGirlie]

If your Cardio has any balls........darn rights he can put the spur's to the surgeon. That's what happened to me and had surgery in 5 days.

Uh huh - this is why I love you Canadian girlies. Y'all talk like you're from Texas..!:biggrin2:

 

[bigsidster]

Bdryer I told you what you need to do.Call the local news station and tell them to meet you at the entrance to the hospital.When they arrive fall to the ground clutching your heart.Getting all this on film may move you to the head of the line.

 

[Duff Man]

Did you get the physiotherapist's number?

I was gonna say I'm moving to Canada, but... sounds like I'm better off where I'm at for now.

 

[bdryer]

Hey Penny

My province sounds similar to your health region, Re staffing, facilities and amount of surgeries accomplished per day.

I got on the phone and asked the surgeons receptionist when my date would be. I could here her holding back the laughter while she stated surgery would not be next week and that the surgeon will personally contact with the date. OK so when he calls what's the lead time 1 wk, 2 wk's, Blah blah blah....Our health system is disorganized chaos, run by a bunch of million dollar administrators governed by a party without vision, who if were in private industry, would manage their company to failure.

 

[bdryer]

Duffy

Stay where you are. I don't want any other heart patients competing for my surgery slot!

As for the phone number, that would be telling!

 

[bdryer]

Brother Bigsidster

You got balls man! JEEZE I don't have the intestinal fortitude to pull that stunt off! It would make for some good entertainment though, especially if Canadian VR folks were watching. You could watch a brother in action, clutching his chest and throwing himself to the ground on the door steps of an Alberta hospital. My luck, the surgery would be in the hallway with junkies and expectant mothers looking on.

Good idea though.

 

[bdryer]

Freddie

I'm off to the cardio tomorrow as you know. I'm going to implement a twist on bigsidsters acting advice and play it up.

Thx gang

 

[Greg a]

google "Alberta ombudsman" then get the system working FOR you

 

[bdryer]

Hey Greg

I took a look at the web site. I'll keep your idea as a back up. It ain't the end of Jan yet. I'm hoping and I'm praying, I will be called up from the little leagues to play in the big show this week or next week. You would think that if the surgeon was true to his word, he would have given me a date so I could prepare especially as we are mid way thru the month of Jan.

 

[Greg a]

each province has an ombudsman office that investigates government shortfalls and complaints just as is your case it may be worth your time to file even after the fact to improve the system for others .... with a Davey Crockett hat you could be Alberta's next pioneer

 

[Greg a]

by the way you may want to ask about the kryptonite glue that has been in use at Foothills instead of wires to hold the sternum together ......there have been a couple of threads on it and Larry or Guy in Quebec had it and is a solid proponent of it

 

[epstns]

bdryer - About your question regarding progression of aortic stenosis. . .

There are no formulas or expectations as to the rate of progression of the condidion. The only thing we do know for sure is "The worse the valve gets, the quicker it gets worse."

Think about it -- we mean that as the valve gets tighter/smaller opening, it worsens at an increasing rate. I've noticed my valve doing just that. A year ago I could jog 3 or 4 miles/day. Then I found I was only comfortable doing a much slower jog, until I'm just speed walking now. And. . . my surgeon doesn't want me pushing that! Oh, well, I'm ready for my surgery on March 1.