There is a serious problem with wait times for back
surgery in Manitoba and it has become much worse over the past year. Today I tell you the story of one person.
This individual has asked to remain anonymous, but I share this today so that
there can be more awareness of this problem, and so that this situation can be
addressed.
This individual has needed back surgery (fusion for L1 to
L5 vertebrae) for more than three years.
He was seen by his own family physician who then referred him to the Pan
Am Pain Clinic. He was finally seen by
his surgeon at the Health Sciences Centre, two years later in October of 2016. The surgeon who saw him at the Health Sciences
Centre agreed that he needed surgery. At
that time, he committed verbally that he expected the surgery would occur in
9-12 months. It is now more than 14
months later and he is still waiting, and there is still no surgery date in
sight.
The doctor seems to be able to get operating room time
only for trauma patients who present in the Emergency room and even they
languish in a hospital bed for weeks before the surgery is done.
The costs to the system over the last seven years have
been horrendous. He has had untold back
injections, 4 Rhizotomies, one of which apparently caused a serious infection
which required intravenous antibiotics (involving at least six hospital visits
to have the Pic Lines inserted, cleared and removed) and twice a week visits to
the IV clinic, plus the cost of the antibiotics and untold pain meds, including
opioids, and multitudes of doctors' appointments.
In the interim, he has been in almost unremitting
pain. It affects his life, and the lives
of those close to him, daily, severely limiting what he and his family can
do. It has been more than 3 years since
he has needed a disabled parking permit.
Days of golf using a golf cart and going for walks are two years plus in
the past. All of this is wearing him
down. As he is less fit now that
before, there is a concern the surgery could be even more dangerous as a
result. The doctor and his staff are
very concerned and frustrated as they have to deal daily with other patients
with similar conditions. They will no
longer reply to questions by email.
There are at least five other patients who are at some stage along this
sad, frustrating journey, and perhaps many more. People talk of going elsewhere to get the
surgery (BC or the US) without any understanding of the cost or time spans
involved. That idea is not an option for
this individual and should not have to be.
The Minister of Health needs to address this issue
urgently. I have written to him so he is
aware of it. We also need to have the
wait times for back surgery publicly reported so that Manitobans can find out
easily what the current wait will be. If
you are also waiting, please send me your story as each story can help along
this journey to getting this problem addressed.
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