More surgeries performed but wait times still longer than before pandemic, study says [Video]

The Canadian Institute for Health Information says more surgeries are being performed than before the pandemic — but wait times have still grown longer.

The report released Thursday looked at wait times for hip and knee replacements, cataract procedures, cancer surgeries, MRIs and CT scans in 2019 and in 2024.

“While the backlog that we saw at the height of the pandemic due to delays and cancellations has been cleared, we’re still seeing increasing need and demand for many of these procedures from a growing and aging population and some increasing medical complexity of patients,” Cheryl Chui, the institute’s director of health systems analytics, said in an interview.

A shortage of health-care workers, including surgical staff, is another factor contributing to longer wait times, the report said.

The percentage of patients receiving hip and knee replacements within the recommended six-month time frame decreased, even though the number of surgeries increased …