Surgical Services

Waiting for Surgery

There are over 2500 surgeries performed every year in the hospitals that serve the people of Western Newfoundland and Labrador.  There are many factors that affect the length of time you may wait for a procedure to be completed. 

• The specific surgery or procedure you need
• Your own health condition
• The availability of hospital staff
• The time of year
• The surgeon who is performing your surgery or procedure

For information regarding the full range of surgical services provided within Western Health, visit the Programs and Services webpage.

Priority Classification

When you require a surgical or invasive procedure, your doctor will classify your need by a priority.  For example, a person who requires the same procedure as you do may have other reasons why they should be done sooner than you. Being put on a waitlist is not on a first come – first served basis. The priority is based on clinical assessment, pain, and sometimes simply a person’s ability to take care of his or her self.  Your physician will classify your need as

1. Emergent - You have a life threatening condition that requires immediate treatment.  For this you will not be placed on a wait list
2. Urgent - You definitely require surgery or treatment but is not an emergency. In this instance you will generally wait a short time.  An example of this would be a patient requiring surgery for a cancer diagnosis.
3. Elective/Non Urgent - This is a patient that requires surgery but their condition is not considered to pose a threat to their life or health.

Click on the following for surgical service wait times:

• Joint Replacement
• Vision Restoration
• Cancer Care