Widespread cancellations followed by closures in later waves of COVID-19 contributed to the backlog and ongoing staff shortages are making the problem worse. CIHI found that about 937,000 fewer surgeries were performed in Canada over the course of the pandemic, with joint replacements and cataract surgeries accounting for about 24% of the total reduction in surgeries. Almost 40% of patients who required a hip or knee replacement or cataract surgery didn’t have their procedure done within the recommended time frame in 2022. Other findings include:
- In 2022, about 50% of patients received their knee replacement within the recommended time frame (versus 70% pre-pandemic) and about 57% of patients received their hip replacement within the recommended time frame (versus 75% pre-pandemic);
- In many provinces, catching up on the backlog of cataract surgeries was less challenging, as they can be done in day procedure rooms or community clinics. At the national level, wait times for cataract surgery rebounded to pre-pandemic levels by fall 2020 and remained there, with 66% of patients receiving surgery within the recommended time frame; and
- From Apr. to Sept. 2022, 50% of patients waited one to three days longer for breast, bladder, colorectal and lung cancer surgeries and about 12 days longer for prostate cancer surgery, compared with pre-pandemic wait times.
Related:
Incidence de la COVID-19 sur les chirurgies : le point sur les volumes et les temps d’attente - ICIS
Chute marquée du nombre de chirurgies au N.-B. depuis 2020 - L'Acadie Nouvelle (abonnement)
Chirurgie : le nombre d’opérations au N.-B. a diminué de 13 % durant la pandémie - Radio-Canada