Sask. patients waiting for surgeries face uncertainty despite plan to resume medical services

News that the Saskatchewan Health Authority will start gradually resuming medical services has brought hope to some patients waiting for surgeries, but many can expect the wait to continue for now. 

On Tuesday, the health authority announced a four-phase plan to resume services that have been put on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Starting May 19, surgical services will increase by 10 to 25 per cent, and there will be increases in MRI and CT scans under the plan. 

Saskatoon's Lorrie McLay has been waiting to find out when she can have a planned heart valve replacement and bypass surgery. 

The surgery was cancelled twice — first on March 12 and again on March 26. 

She was hopeful when she heard the announcement about some services resuming. 

"I called the surgeon's office right away only to have my hopes dashed again," said McLay. 

"[They said] they were taking it one day at a time. I'm truly hoping in the next week or two that they may phone me back and tell me a date. 

"Even if it's at the end of May, at least I would have some hope."

Meanwhile, McLay said she is becoming increasingly fatigued. She said she was told her surgery was not urgent enough to proceed under current restrictions, and was told to go to the emergency room if she has chest pains. 

"Not sure at this point if [that's] reassuring at all," said McLay. 

"It's scary." 

Services need to resume: CEO

Saskatchewan Health Authority CEO Scott Livingstone said Tuesday an increase in services is necessary because of the impact that closures have on non-COVID patients. 

"While there are risks to resuming services, there are also risks if we don't," said Livingstone.

"When people don't get everyday health care, their conditions can escalate."

But some unspecified elective surgeries will not resume until the fourth and last phase of the plan. No date has been set for the start of that phase.

CBC asked the health authority to clarify when hip and knee replacements will be resumed. 

"It depends on the severity of the injury and the surgeon's assessment, in consultation with the patient," the SHA said in an emailed response.

"Any patient who feels their condition is worsening can be reassessed on the wait list, regardless of what kind of surgery it is." 

Saskatoon's Holly Kurtz has been experiencing knee problems for over a year. She was scheduled to have surgery on April 2, about four months after she was able to see a specialist.

Worries condition will worsen during wait

Kurtz, a nurse who is currently not working because her job requires her to visit long-term care homes which are subject to restrictions, said she still does not know where her surgery fits in the four phases of the health authority's plan. 

She said she has been told she will be contacted when her surgeon is able to start booking cases like hers.

"Since the pandemic has hit, the pain in my knee has gotten increasingly worse," said Kurtz.

"Basically, I have non-stop pain, which makes walking a little more difficult, makes stairs almost impossible."

Kurtz is worried she won't be able to return to work if her pain continues to worsen. She is also concerned that by the time she can have the surgery, her condition will have reached the point that the procedure will not be as effective. 

"My biggest concern is if I do start work in the next few weeks, am I going to be able to actually do my job, because of the pain that I am experiencing," said Kurtz. 

"It's frustrating because … the specialist wants to make it better, but their hands are tied too."

Samantha Bridges from Saskatoon has been able to continue immunotherapy to treat skin cancer during the pandemic, but a related surgery has been put on hold indefinitely. 

'Literally stuck'

Bridges said a previous surgery for a melanoma in her neck damaged her facial nerves. She said it paralyzed the right side of her face, which prevents her from blinking or smiling.  

She had a consultation with a surgeon booked for March, but it was redirected online and then cancelled altogether. 

"It's depressing.… I personally have anxiety because of what I have gone through, and I can only imagine people waiting, their anxiety is going to go higher as well," said Bridges. 

"They are stressing out because they don't have answers. Nobody can give them answers, and that's how I feel — we are literally stuck." 

Bridges said she was experiencing loneliness even before the pandemic because she does not like going out in public due to her scars. 

Regardless, she thinks the province has done a good job of reducing the spread of COVID-19. 

Need to be willing to roll plan back: union 

Saskatchewan Union of Nurses president Tracy Zambory said she has confidence the health authority can manage the restart of services, as long as it is not afraid to reinstate measures if needed. 

"If we start to see numbers of presumptive or positive cases increase, or we see that the system is having difficulty managing, that we will [need to] either halt or we will move ourselves back to the beginning," said Zambory. 

"That's where our concern lies, is the transparency and the bravery to stop, and not feeling pressure from other areas that we have to just keep ramming and pushing through."

The Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 5430 Saskatchewan has expressed opposition to the resumption of services starting May 19. 

It said Tuesday that resuming services takes staff away from areas where they are needed during the pandemic.

More than 200 SHA staff were self-isolating or self-monitoring after cases at hospitals in Lloydminster and Prince Albert last week. 

'Starting to see good news': CEO 

The health authority's Scott Livingstone said Wednesday that the potential for staff shortages due to self-isolation is a concern.

However, he said the situation has been improving. 

"We are managing that, just like we are managing the outbreaks. We're starting to see good news," said Livingstone. 

More than 20 employees went back into service in La Loche last week after being self-isolated, he said, and some staff at hospitals in Lloydminster and Prince Albert have started returning to work. 

Livingstone said those workers who are self-isolating are being tested and retested to make sure that they are not infected, even if they are asymptomatic.