Wait for surgery varies: study

Hip fractures lead the way at 48 hours

The percentage of Albertans receiving surgery for fractured hips within the desired wait time has grown since 2012, but the proportion receiving cataract surgery on time has dropped, a new study shows.

About 91 per cent of Albertans with fractured hips had them repaired within 48 hours last year, up from 80 per cent four years earlier, according to a report released Tuesday by the Canadian Institute for Health Information.

That’s the biggest improvement of any province and above the national average of 86 per cent.

But Alberta had one of the worst records in the country for meeting the desired timetable for cataract operations, with 58 per cent of patients receiving surgery within the 112-day goal, down from 63 per cent in 2012. Only Manitoba, where just one-third of cataract patients had operations within the goal time, was worse.

The national average for on-time cataract surgery was 73 per cent, down from 83 per cent in 2012.

Alberta’s measures for three other procedures didn’t significantly change (2012 figure in brackets):

82 per cent of hip replacements done within 182 days (84 per cent); 77 per cent of knee replacements done within 182 days (79 per cent); 99 per cent of radiation therapy started within 28 days (97 per cent).

The results for joint surgery in the Edmonton region were better than the provincial averages, with 87 per cent of hip replacements and 84 per cent of knee replacements performed within the goal time.

“The number of patients receiving care within benchmarks for more urgent procedures continues to improve (e.g., for hip fracture repair) or remains consistently high (e.g., for radiation therapy), while wait times for less urgent procedures, such as cataract surgery, are growing,” the report says.

The annual report looks at wait times for priority procedures for sight restoration, joint replacement, cancer and diagnostic imaging in Canada, using data supplied by the provinces.

In an emailed statement, Health Minister Sarah Hoffman said while the wait for procedures such as hip fracture repairs and radiation therapy are improving, and stroke treatment centres provide some of the fastest assistance in the world, more can be done.

“As our population grows and ages, we are seeing a significant increase in demand for health procedures, including cataract surgery and diagnostic imaging,” she said.