Moncton patients wait longer for hip replacements

Carole Aspiros, a 65-year-old translator from Riverview, was seven months into her long wait for a hip replacement when she decided to do a little research.

An internet search turned up a page on the province's website that allowed her to compare wait times for the same procedure at different hospitals.

It took my breath away.- Carole Aspiros, waiting for hip surgery

She was stunned by what she found. The wait time for a hip replacement in Moncton could be as long as 597 days, compared with 288 in Saint John and just 154 days in Fredericton.

"It took my breath away," says Aspiros. "You take it for granted. Everybody's waiting to see a doctor … you think it's the same everywhere, but that's not true."

Aspiros contacted the Horizon Health Network and was told Moncton hospitals often receive many referrals from other areas, including some from outside the province, which contributes to the delay. 

"We are really struggling"

Dr. Serge Melanson, Chief of Staff for the Moncton Hospital, calls the situation unacceptable.

"We feel it's a very serious situation and it is quite awful for Mrs. Aspiros and other people like her to be waiting for such a lengthy time," says Melanson.

"But it is encouraging to see people in the community actually raising their voices and pointing out this very serious problem to our elected officials."

Melanson attributes the long wait times to demographics, with baby boomers getting older.

"Their numbers become larger and a lot of them are migrating down to the southeast of the province … we are really struggling to meet the large amount of numbers that are on this wait list and, unfortunately, people like Mrs. Aspiros are the ones who have to suffer."

Melanson says the Moncton Hospital is looking at ways to make the most of existing operating rooms, better co-ordination of nursing and support staff, and performing some orthopedic procedures in different settings. 

Patients not informed

Carole Aspiros calls the discrepancy a real eye-opener, but she also feels that she is partly to blame.

She was unaware that she could be referred to another hospital where wait times aren't as long, and wonders why many Moncton patients accept the wait.

Unfortunately, people like Mrs. Aspiros are the ones who have to suffer."- Dr Serge Melanson, Moncton Hospital Chief of Staff

"I don't know if it's complacency or a lack of information."

Luc Foulem, a spokesperson for Vitalité Health Network, responded to Aspiros' concerns.

He says there are a number of factors that have affected wait times at the Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont Hospital, including a lack of anesthesiologists, scheduling priorities and the fact that operating rooms are shared by all surgeons, sometimes creating a bottleneck.

He says the hospital has filled two anesthesiologist positions and is adding three more operating rooms, due to completed in 2019. He says this will help increase the number of surgeries being performed.

Aspiros doesn't believe that extra operating rooms are the only solution.

"If they don't increase the resources, it will be like putting a fridge in the middle of a field where there's no electricity."

Aspiros has sent letters to the mayors of Moncton, Riverview and Dieppe outlining her concerns.

So far, only Moncton's George LeBlanc has replied.

She says he asked if he could forward the letter to the minister of health and other people close to the file.