Cataract surgery increases to reduce wait times
March 26, 2010
Alberta Health Services (AHS) has signed a new agreement with ophthalmology service providers that will provide 2,140 more cataract surgeries for Albertans this year; improving access for cataract surgery and reducing wait times.
Please be assured:
- Some surgeries may need to be re-booked at a different facility.
- Surgeries are quickly being rebooked now.
- Surgeons have been asked to rebook surgeries or to ask patients to contact AHS at the numbers below for help with rebooking.
- All surgeries will be rebooked and patients’ wait times will not start over. For some the transition to a new booking date may mean a wait time of up to 90 days for surgery. Patients who already have a scheduled surgery date will be re-booked first.
- These changes are related to surgeries booked in Calgary and Edmonton only.
For assistance rebooking please call:
- Edmonton: 780-342-8080
- Calgary: 403-944-8616
- Southern Alberta: 1-877-957-9771
- Red Deer and Northern Alberta: 1-877-753-2170
Although the number of facilities has been reduced in order to increase the overall number of surgeries, all approved surgeons can continue to perform cataract surgeries and patients can continue to choose their own surgeon.
AHS will save $1.4 million a year by signing agreements that reduce surgery costs to AHS, while maintaining strict quality and service standards. All of those savings will be invested back into funding the additional surgeries.
- In Calgary, 11,700 opthalmological surgeries are performed annually and 1,500 will be added this year.
- In Edmonton, 15,800 opthalmological surgeries are currently performed and 640 will be added this year.
- In total across Alberta about 35,000 opthalmological surgeries are performed annually.
The newly approved Ophthalmology Surgical Centres – all accredited by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta – are:
- David B. Climenhaga Professional Corporation – Edmonton
- Royce L.C. Johnson Professional Corporation – Edmonton (Please note, cataract surgeries are not performed at this facility.)
- Surgical Centres Inc. – Calgary
- Mitchell Surgi-Centre – Calgary
If you are currently scheduled for cataract surgery at a facility other than one of the newly approved providers listed above, you will be contacted by your ophthalmologist or by AHS in the next few days to reschedule your procedure.
The rescheduling process began Monday, March 29, 2010. As soon as your surgeon has rebooked your procedure you will be contacted again and advised of the new arrangements.
AHS is committed to expediting the rescheduling process for all patients whose surgeries need to be rebooked.
