Surgery wait times in Kelowna

[Bsuds]

OK, the bad news is my wife found out yesterday that she has several stones in her Gall Bladder and it will take 2-3 years just to get to see a Surgeon! Then who knows how long to wait for the surgery.

The good news is, we got the name of the Surgeon who did the same operation on my Mother last year and we have an appointment to see her/him in White Rock in 2 months. The operation could be within 3 months after that.

Why the Heck do we have to wait so long here in the interior. That's BS!

[Catz]

I'm sorry to hear that, Sudsy.
I have no answers...go to Whiterock

[Piecemaker]

Perhaps there are not enough surgeons in the Interior who perform that surgical procedure given the demand here. Waits have to do with lack of surgical time, but they have to do with health-care professional shortages too.
Sorry to hear she is in need of surgery. Gallstones are not pleasant.

[gardengirl]

I thought they did some sort of ultrasonic thing to break the gallstones instead of conventional surgery.

[Bsuds]

I thought they did some sort of ultrasonic thing to break the gallstones instead of conventional surgery.

I think that's Kidney stones.

[gardengirl]

I thought they did some sort of ultrasonic thing to break the gallstones instead of conventional surgery.

I think that's Kidney stones.

Ah, I could be mistaken.

[whatsup]

I know the wait time for surgery is just crazy.My 9 year old son is waiting for a consultation on a knee surgery he needs,we have been told it can take 6 to 8 months just for the consultaion.Mean while my uncle was told he needed knee surgery and had it done within 4 months,I just don't get it.

[Urbane]

My doctor recently said that he had a patient who had a positive FOB test (fecal occult blood) and almost a year later was waiting to hear anything about being scheduled for a colonoscopy. So much for early detection and treatment. And I have a friend who's been waiting a long time for a knee replacement and another friend who waited a couple of years for a hip replacement. And on it goes.

[grammafreddy]

Yes, there's certainly a lot to be said for social medical plans, eh?

Not only do we wait for surgery, we wait for tests, we can't get the meds recommended because they are not approved by BC Med, and on it goes.

Am sorry your wife has to wait, Sudsy. Hope it all works out for her.

[viobach]

I think it has to do with alot of politics and mis-management. My mom finally got in for surgery after 2 years of waiting. The doctor that operated on my mom has one of the longest wait list,for orthopedics but over the course of 2 years his surgery time was cut down to once a month for elective surgeries. When she was recovering she was with 2 others, one had a hip replacement the other a knee. They both waited around 3-4 months. It's all messed up. TORTURE!! that's more the word for our medical system : ( Thank god your wife will get in soon. My advice go anywhere but Kelowna for any type of surgery. Best of luck to her : )