Canadians Still on that "Hold Up" for Surgeries 💀

The Deets

Alright, fam, listen up! The tea is Canadians are still stuck in a major waiting game for surgeries. Even though they're doing more surgeries now than before the pandemic, the wait times are still longer. It's like, you finally get to the front of the line, and they're like, "Nah, gotta wait longer."

For all my peeps needing hip and knee replacements, things are looking kinda bleak. Back in 2019, 75% of Canadians got their hip replaced within 26 weeks. But in 2024? Only 68% made the cut. Knee replacements are just as rough, with 61% getting it done within 182 days, compared to 70% before COVID. Major L.

And don't even get me started on cancer surgeries. Wait times for breast, bladder, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancer surgeries are all up. Like, you're already dealing with the big C, and now you gotta wait even longer? That's just messed up.

Why the hold-up, you ask? Well, it's a whole cocktail of problems. Shortage of specialists and nurses, limited operating room space, and prioritizing emergency cases are all playing a part. Plus, the pandemic threw a wrench in everything, creating a massive backlog.

The longer you wait, the worse it gets. Like, diseases can get worse, anxiety and depression can kick in, and overall patient outcomes take a nosedive. It's a whole disaster waiting to happen.

Provinces are trying to fix things, tho. Ontario and others are looking into outpatient procedures and even using private clinics to get more surgeries done. But it's still a work in progress.

Oh, and it's not the same everywhere. Ontario is kinda winning when it comes to hip replacements, but Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island are lagging behind. Basically, it's a whole mixed bag depending on where you live.

Even prostate cancer surgeries are getting hit. The number of surgeries went down a bit, and the wait times went up. It's like they're trying to make things even more complicated.

On the bright side, wait times for cataract surgery are kinda back to normal. But the percentage of people getting radiation therapy and fractured hip repairs within the recommended time is still down. So, small wins, but still a long way to go.