Wait times for joint replacement surgery improved in Central Alberta in 2023, but patients are still waiting longer than before the pandemic.
According to new data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) wait times for both knee and hip replacements in Alberta Health Services Central Zone fluctuated between 2019 and 2023.
In 2023, 50 per cent of knee replacements were done within the 26-week benchmark compared to 39 per cent in 2022, 69 per cent in 2021, 50 per cent in 2020, and 61 per cent in Central Zone.
For hip replacements, 66 per cent were within the 26-week benchmark in 2023, 53 per cent in 2022, 74 per cent in 2021, 70 per cent in 2020, and 72 per cent in 2019.
“While more patients are receiving care within recommended benchmarks after a significant dip at the beginning of the pandemic, Canadians are still waiting longer than they did in 2019, before the pandemic,” said Cheryl Chui, CIHI director of health system analytics, in a statement.
“We’re starting to see an increase in surgical volumes, which is a good sign after more than two years of decreased numbers. It’s an important step in reducing backlogs and providing more timely care.”
A statement from the office of the Minister of Health said as a province, Alberta has made steady progress toward its goals and the CIHI report is proof.
Since 2022, hip replacement surgeries in Alberta improved from 38 per cent within clinically recommended times to 59 per cent in 2023. Knee replacement surgeries improved from 27 per cent to 49 per cent.
Compared to other provinces, Alberta ranks third in Canada in three of the five priority cancer procedures completed within benchmark time frames.
Additionally, as of March 25, 62.2 per cent of wait list patients for all adult surgeries are occurring within clinically recommended times.
“We know there is still room for improvement, and this is why Budget 2024 invested $618 million into the Alberta Surgical Initiative, plus an additional $4.4 billion toward acute care operating expenses,” the minister’s office said.
Red Deer orthopedic surgeon Dr. Keith Wolstenholme said CIHI data doesn’t include the amount of time patients wait after getting a referral from their doctor to meeting with a surgeon. So from the time a patient is referred until their surgery, it can be a couple of years.
“The wait times can be pretty extreme,” Wolstenholme said.
He said during the pandemic resources went to COVID patients and Red Deer also lost anesthesiologists and nurses so orthopedics is still playing catch-up.
“We have definitely had more OR in the last six months compared to the previous years because we have been able to recruit anesthesia and nursing. We are back up to full capacity.”
He said there are also initiatives to improve wait times, like better access to health care professionals for referrals. Orthopedic surgery is trying to expand into hospitals in Rocky Mountain House and Camrose, and the wait continues for a charter surgical facility in Central Alberta.
“As long as there are people to work in those places then we actually will start to pump through more patients and that will mean shorter wait times. I think there is hope out there,” Wolstenholme said.
According to the report, wait times for cataract surgery in Canada have returned to pre-pandemic levels, with 70 per cent of patients treated within 16-week benchmark in 2023 and 2019. In Alberta 61 per cent received surgery within the benchmark in 2023 compared to 44 per cent in 2019.
In 2023, 94 per cent of Canadians received radiation therapy within the recommended time frame of four weeks, compared with 97 per cent in 2019. In Alberta, 97 per cent received therapy within the benchmark in 2023, and 98 per cent in 2019.
The percentage of patients who received emergency hip fracture repair within the recommended time frame of 48 hours nationally was 82 per cent in 2023 and 86 per cent in 2019. In Alberta, 86 per cent of repairs were done within the benchmark in 2023, and 91 per cent in 2019.
The median wait time in Alberta for lung cancer surgery has increased by 10 days since 2019 compared to two days nationally.
The median wait time for prostate cancer surgery increased 11 days nationally, and 12 days in Alberta. For CT and MRI scans, the median wait time increased four to seven days nationally, and six to 12 days in Alberta.
For breast, bladder, and colorectal cancer surgery, the median wait time increased by two to four days nationally, and two to five days in Alberta.