Eye surgery backlog near 5,000 provincewide

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This article was published 08/01/2022 (1406 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The backlog for eye surgeries in Manitoba will only get worse and more expensive as long as it isn’t addressed, a Winnipeg opthalmologist warned Friday.

Speaking to media at a virtual press conference yesterday, Dr. Jennifer Rahman, president of the Eye Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba, said that at Misericordia Health Centre in Winnipeg — Manitoba’s main facility for eye surgeries — there has been a 46 per cent reduction in the number of surgeries performed since March 2020.

While some pressure on the system has been relieved by outsourcing procedures to private facilities, Rahman said the backlog is still at approximately 5,000 provincewide.

Additionally, because elective surgeries have been completely paused several times during the pandemic, it has caused Misericordia to lose specialized ophthalmology nurses to retirement, sick leaves or other jobs.

Part of the problem is that for surgeries and procedures that take longer to perform or have more complex demands for staffing and resources, they are not eligible to take place at private facilities.

As patients go longer without having ailments like cataracts or glaucoma addressed, their symptoms will worsen and with poorer eyesight, are more likely to injure themselves.

“When the surgery for a very dense cataract is finally done, it can potentially be more complicated,” Rahman said.

“Complicated cataract surgeries take longer and [are] maybe more costly to the system. As a result, recovery and return to work can be significantly delayed. Unfortunately, the backlog is creating more complicated cataract procedures due to the lengthy wait times, and this will prolong patient suffering and cost us more time, effort and money to fix the longer the backlog remains.”

Though cataract surgeries are the most affected by the backlog, Rahman said surgeries for ailments like glaucoma, there have been impacts as well, especially since the wait for treatment can cause permanent vision damage in some cases.

She called on the province to immediately provide more funding to alleviate the backlog, as well as for the cap on the number of surgeries doctors can perform every month to be eliminated.

According to Doctors Manitoba’s best estimates, it appears there were 293 fewer cataract surgeries completed between March 2020 through October 2021 compared to the same number of months before the pandemic.

Though they didn’t have specific figures, the organization believes other Westman rural hospitals, such as in Minnedosa and Swan Valley, have also faced disruptions.

Overall, they figure the overall backlog of rural eye surgeries caused by the pandemic is between 300 and 400 on top of the backlog that existed before COVID-19 arrived in Manitoba.

Putting a face to the problem was Wilson Anderson, a recent retiree who described how his quality of life has deteriorated as his cataracts have progressed.

After retiring in 2020, Anderson said he’d planned to go back to school, read more often and enjoy life.

However, after his eyesight started worsening, his doctor told him in early 2021 that he needed cataract surgeries. His night vision, perception of colours and sensitivity to bright light were all in decline.

In July 2021, he was put on the waiting list for cataract surgery where he is still waiting.

Because of his worsening condition, he’s unable to enjoy things like walking his dogs and volunteering, has had to take fewer university courses and has been forced to rely on his partner to help him complete tasks that used to be simple for him.

“I find walking, cooking, taking medications, navigating stairs and steps safely are all difficult for me,” he said. “As a matter of fact, in December of 2021, I had a severe fall outside where I split my lip, cut up my face and broke a pair of glasses all because I was having problems looking and seeing the distance between steps.”

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