Vancouver Island Health Authority Slaughters Wait Times For Hip & Knee Surge

The number of hip and knee surgeries performed by VIHA in the last three years has increased by 55 per cent -- to 2,216 in 2006-07 from 1,428 in 2003-04. This year, the health authority plans to push through 3,000 surgeries. Even more will be performed at the Centre for Surgical Innovation at the University of B.C., which handles an overflow of cases for Vancouver Island. Almost 300 Vancouver Island patients had hip or knee surgery in the Lower Mainland in 2006-07. ... In another strategy of wait-list management, VIHA has set up new guidelines to determine whether a patient stays on the wait list or is removed: * The patient must be ready, willing and able to undergo surgery. * The patient must be fully recovered from previous surgeries before a second surgery booking request is accepted. * Three strikes you're out: If a patient refuses three surgical dates, they're off the list. * If a patient is put on hold for surgery, either by their surgeon or by themselves, they are off the list. ... http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=596ac0aa-c08a-42e6-8334-d8ac14714886&k=95908

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