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If you think you’ve been hearing a lot about cataract surgery lately, you’re probably right. An aging population across the country has been increasing the demand for the procedure as exciting technological advances have increased the rate of surgery and budget constraints to our healthcare system have led to what many believe are unacceptable wait times.Even the federal government has identified long wait times for cataract surgery as a priority focus, and the Canadian Ophthalmological Society has stated that 16 weeks is the benchmark medically acceptable wait time. Unfortunately, the most current data indicates that thousands of frustrated boomers are waiting several months to have the surgery—but not at Hôtel-Dieu Grace Hospital where current wait times are an impressive three to four weeks, the shortest in the province.In the late 1980’s, a cataract surgeon could perform only six to eight procedures daily, using extracapsular cataract extraction, a procedure that took 30 to 60 minutes under general anaesthesia. Since then, cataract surgery techniques have been rapidly evolving and in 1991 Dr. Fouad Tayfour, staff ophthalmologist at Hôtel-Dieu Grace Hospital, became the first surgeon in Canada to perform cataract surgery under topical anaesthesia and to perform the first clear corneal incision for cataract surgery, a procedure that takes only 5 to 10 minutes. Today, the Bausch & Lomb Millennium microsurgical system used at Hôtel-Dieu Grace Hospital is the most efficient continuous vacuum system available.In addition, the cataract surgery program at HDGH has been recognized for the impressive efficiencies that their team has achieved through the implementation of faster technology and surgical techniques, streamlined patient care and improved patient flow strategies. By examining surgical and administrative procedures from patient arrival to departure from the hospital and identifying inefficiencies and bottlenecks in patient flow, the team systematically began making improvements.Today, with five staff ophthalmologists and a dedicated team of support staff, HDGH is the only hospital providing comprehensive ophthalmology services this side of London. Patient satisfaction surveys indicate that nursing care and efficiency, and operating room process and procedure were excellent 90% of the time and satisfactory 10% of the time, and the program continues to serve as a model for eye programs elsewhere. With 30% to 40% of patients coming as referrals from outside of the Windsor and Essex County area, the program has realized a significant per capita reduction in operating room and staffing costs and reduced hospital time for patients.The HDGH Cataract Surgery Unit now performs 40 procedures daily…that’s one surgical procedure every 7 minutes…a benchmark in the province if not the country, totaling approximately 6,000 cases annually out of one operating room.For information on how to prepare for your cataract surgery please click here |
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