Waiting List for surgary in BC Canada ??

[K-DolL]

I want to know how long I would have to wait for me surgary. So if anyone knows how long they waited for in British Columbia ( BC Childrens Hospital), please reply.
Thanks
Kendall

[susannajon]

Kendall,

Is the surgery for you or your child? What's the degree of curvature? I have many Canadian friends who might be able to help you.

Thanks,

[K-DolL]

I have a 40 degree curve and I'm 14 living in BC. I would really like your knowledge about the waiting for surgary in BC. Thank You.
Kendall

[Justin]

Hello K-Doll,

Well do you have Dr. Tredwell or Dr. Reilly as your doctor.
Dr. Tredwell is longer as he also does most of the congenital scoliosis where as Dr. Reilly mostly do the idiopathic scoliosis. Both agree that surgery should be done around at least a 50 degree curve and if there's other factors. I don't know Dr. Tredwell's waiting list but Dr. Reilly's assistant told me about 1 year to 1.5 years back in my last appointment on 11/18/2004. Of course each case is rated differently so waiting times are different for each patient.

[lorrie]

Hi K-Doll
Don't think you're going to really get a very definite answer to that question on here. You're best bet would be to ring your consultant's secretary and just ask.
Good luck
Lorrie

[K-DolL]

Yes I have Dr Tredwell for a docter and thank you very much for your infomation. And I know that you have to be atleast 50 degrees but in 6 months my degrees grew by 6. So at that rate and the pain Im in I know that Im going to have to get surgary. I do not want to live the rest of my life, going through pregnessy with this, so hopefully I will beable to have the surgary.
Kendall

[Justin]

It is all the BC Liberal government's fault for stupid long waiting lists.
Hope they promise shorter waiting list or me n my family vote NDP in the May Election.

[JillfromCanada]

Dr. Tredwell

Hi Kendall,

I waited just over 6 months to see Dr. Tredwell, although my curve did shift from 40 degrees to almost 60 in less than a year.

If you phone his office and talk to the receptionist, she should be able to give you an idea of how long it will be.

Remember "sickest patients are always seen first".

[K-DolL]

thanks again.

Thank you very much, im going to tell my parents to vote for them. Hopefully the waiting list wont be as long. I understand the fact that the sickest go first and i im willing to wait for them, but i need this surgary, i cant imagine never getting surgary, and having this, this bad, for the rest of my life. Thanks for all ur info.
Kendall

[K-DolL]

hi

In one month Im about to see dr tredwell. I have no idea how bad my back is now. I was thinking, could my back get better on its own? Without any treatment, is that possible? Has it happened? well replay please!!
kendall

[AlexN]

Hi there,
I'm new here, and first of all want to say if this is an intrusion please let me know.

I'm working on a documentary on Canada's medical system and am searching for stories of long waiting times. WHile the documentary is NOT meant to slam the quality of medical care in Canada, it is meant to shine a light on the ridiculous wait periods that people are (literally) suffering through.

Kendall's story got me because of how young she is.

I'm a mom of two young kids myself so understand if people have privacy concerns, so if you'd like to "talk" to me, post here.

I'm based in Toronto but are looking for stories all over the country.

Many thanks, and again apologies if this is intrusive.

Sincerely,
Alex

[Justin]

Although, there is a waiting list for us Canadians to see specialists and/or to do surgery, the price we pay each month is of insignificance to the $$$ value spent monthly for our health care compare to the actual pricing of surgeries, diagnostic tools, blood tests, etc.

In BC, a family of 3 pays only $108 a month.. doctor visits, xrays, mris, bloodtests, referal to specialist, ultrasound, hospital care, hospital bed, all types of surgery except cosmetic surgery included. Although, you do have to get the doctor's recommendation, you can't just walk in and want a blood test done right away unless you go to a private blood clinic and want to pay for yourself. Also our prescription drugs are cheaper here than the US. As well, for xrays, the doctor keeps it for their hospital records instead of you keeping it for your own personal records(unless you wanna pay $30 per film)

In Canada, we pay about 40% taxes to our income. About 5& to Canada Pension Plan, 3% to Employment Insurance and the rest to income taxes based on income brackets.

In US, from this forum alone some people had to pay for services that weren't even covered by their insurance companies. Hospital stays, instrument hardware, xrays, morphine pump, spinal surgery itself. To tell you the truth, i don't know how Shriners can actually maintain a sustainable and excellent service of medical care to their patients if their money is mostly from donations.

The disadvantage of Canada's health care is of course the waiting list. Well, from the Government of BC's waiting list website, for example,hip replacement surgery takes forever. But if you go to the US and can afford it, it's pretty much instant. http://www.healthservices.gov.bc.ca/waitlist/index.html

However, in Canada's position, the promotion of Universal Healthcare, no matter how rich or poor you are. That is the main goal behind our healthcare system. This was first introduced by Sasketchewan Premier Tommy Douglas in 1947.

If anyone from the US has to comment or add some info, feel free. Although, this topic did make me score high on an english diagnostic test

[KRIS ATKINSON]

Justin, very interesting article! I do want to add that I believe a reason for the long wait in Canada is the shortage of doctors there. The pay for doctors is apparently quite low compared to the USA. I believe UK may have a similare system to Canada. I know people who are here temporarily from UK and hate our medical system due to the high cost. I agree that I don't know how in the world Shriners can get the donations to do all they do. I do appreciate them, and if I were in Canada or UK, I assume my daughter's curve would be in the danger zone by the time she was scheduled for surgery. Also, in the USA, healthcare can be free if you are indigent. That means you cannot own property, etc., and of course the hospitals can be pickier about what to offer in healthcare. Spine surgery, for instance, might not be an option, whereas regulary sick doctor visits would be covered. Interesting, and each of us appreciates where we live, don't we?! Kris

[mtheta]

I don't know if anyone is checking this tread anymore but it caught my attention because I'm a BC'er and a former patient of Dr. Treadwells. K-Doll, you are in great hands with Treadwell. I had surgery 7 years ago and resisted like crazy. Once Treadwell saw my X-Rays I was advised to have surgery ASAP. I put it off for as long as possible, but the curve continued to progress. Needless to say it all turned out just fine.
I just recently found out that one of the screws has come loose and am schedualed to see Dr. Shwegeal this month. I really wanted to talk to Treadwell just to get some answers because he is the one who did the original surgery, but he only works at Children's and I'm 23... . He did say I could fax him some questions and he would get back to me, which is super nice.
As for the crazy waitlists here in BC, I hear your frustration. After my GP discovered the loose screw from my hardware, he refferd me to the Spinal Clinic here in Vancouver. I was given an approximate wait time of 8 months (I was told this was good and that some people wait 3 years!). I had passed up a spot on Dr. Shwegeals list to stay on theirs and then 8 months later they said that I was never on the list or had been dropped! Needless to say I finally got a spot with Shwegeal, but the last year has been torture.
1 year to find out if a loose screw is important, if it could migrate and possibly affect the spinal cord, to be told if I need surgery or not. The waiting for pure information is crazy to me, never mind what a waitlist for surgery might be.
I also discovered that you can't be on two waitlists at the same time. This is rediculous, especially when there is the chance of an error occuring as it did to me.
Anyways, I am not sure if you are still doing your documentary Alex but I would be happy to share my experience if you are.

Good luck to you all!

[plk]

regarding your info

replying and understanding your position
sorry to write so late and I am sure you are sleeping. I just don't know what to do with my situation. I wish you could give me more info regarding what is going on with your situation. Please write me back or send me your phone #. I pay nothing for all distance alls. I am about freaking out now. I was treated in a brace as a teenager. I have a lot of trouble sleeping and worrying if surgery would be worth it. I do have a severe curve but am ptactically double joint. I cannot imagine not being able to bend at all but slightly forward and not sit in a bath tub. I have only gotten one doctor's opionion ready to cut me. Well i am certainly not going by him alone. I am just freaking out (not really - i worked over 20 years in medical field and just really cant take the pain now. I am on disabiltiy which I hate since i believe not working is making more deppressed and i also now have agoraphonia and panic atttacks. Very cherry person!!!!! I am divorved with a 20 year old who lives at college. Please write back if possible and I do have a very supportive famly ( although they are all over the US and good boyfriend also, however I do not want to moan about pain all the time to him but by curve is progressing . GOod luck to you. Hope to hear from you. Pam K. Best wieshes to you.