{"id":28203,"date":"2023-06-26T12:58:03","date_gmt":"2023-06-26T12:58:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sciatica.com\/?p=28203"},"modified":"2024-12-17T22:51:49","modified_gmt":"2024-12-17T22:51:49","slug":"why-canadians-travel-for-spine-surgery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sciatica.com\/blog\/why-canadians-travel-for-spine-surgery\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Canadians Travel for Spine Surgery"},"content":{"rendered":"
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When people suffer from spine pain, their quality of life and ability to work and enjoy physical activity declines daily. Far too often, the pain can be debilitating, and many who suffer lose workdays. The effect of pain can lead to job loss, mental decline and even narcotic addiction. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n

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People with chronic neck and back pain should not have to wait to see a spine specialist. Many Canadians choose medical tourism or spine surgery in the United States because the wait times to see a spine surgeon are only one to three weeks. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n

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Millions of Canadians Live With Moderate to Severe Chronic Pain<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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The Canadian Pain Task Force report published in 2019 estimates that one in five Canadians<\/a> lives in chronic pain. Additionally, two-thirds of Canadians who reported living with chronic pain said it was moderate (52%) to severe (14%), and 50% have lived with this pain for over ten years.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n

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Quality of life is crucial to people\u2019s ability to work and pursue happiness in their daily lives. When access to pain-relieving treatment is limited because of the Canadian health care system, the quality of life declines dramatically. People in pain should not have to wait to be seen, evaluated and treated.  <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n

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Waiting Your Turn \u2014 Current Spine Surgery Wait Times in British Columbia and Alberta Provinces<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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The Fraser Institute released its 2022 annual report<\/a> on medical treatment wait times in Canada. Those who live in either the British Columbia or Alberta provinces experience a median wait time to be treated by a general specialist of 25 weeks in British Columbia and 33.3 weeks in Alberta. If you suffer from spine-related problems, however, the wait time from general practitioner referral to treatment with a neurosurgeon is 71 weeks in British Columbia and 48 weeks in Alberta. For an orthopedic spine surgeon, you might wait 61 weeks in Alberta and 42 weeks in British Colombia.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n

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In British Columbia province, for the last quarter of 2022, 1,840 spinal and back cases were waiting for surgery. According to the British Columbia Wait Times website, 90% of those surgeries<\/a> were completed within 49 weeks. These numbers do not include the wait time to see a specialist, only treatment after seeing the specialist. In Alberta, the numbers are similar \u2014 90% of patients wait 50.1 weeks to complete surgical treatment.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n

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What Are the Risks of Waiting on Spine Surgery?<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Not all spine surgery requires immediate attention. Patients with degenerative spinal conditions with gradually increasing pain may have time to consider their treatment options. Alternatively, injuries sustained through accidents like car crashes may be severe enough to warrant emergency surgery to prevent permanent nerve damage and paralysis. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n

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Time is also of the essence when discs or vertebrae compress the spinal nerves and cause significant pain and loss of motor function. Decompressive surgery can correct pinched nerves before they cause permanent damage. Here is a list of other risks of waiting on spine surgery:<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n

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