Manitoba man opts for Mexican hip surgery rather than the 2+ years wait

Otter Falls, Man.–A Manitoba man who needed hip surgery opted to have the procedure done in Mexico for $16,000 rather than wait the expected two to three years in his home province. Pat Blaney, 67, began suffering from hip pain in the summer and was referred to a specialist who confirmed he would need hip-replacement surgery. He was then told in October that he would get an initial consultation with a surgeon in about eight months. Following that consultation, he was told, it would be another 18 months until his hip surgery. “I’m an active guy,” he told Global News. “Hunting is a big part of my fall, and I couldn’t go moose hunting and only got out on two goose shoots because it was just too freaking painful.” Significant backlogs As in other parts of Canada, Manitoba faces a significant backlog of surgeries and procedures. In mid-October, Doctors Manitoba announced the backlog of surgeries and diagnostic procedures in the province had grown to about 130,000 cases from 110,000 in June. Broken down in a report, those numbers included more than 52,000 surgical procedures, 41,000 diagnostic imaging tests and 35,000 other procedures, such as allergy tests, mammograms and endoscopies. Of that number, there were more than 8,600 hip and knee surgeries. Read: Doctors Manitoba calls on health authorities to address ‘staggering’ backlog of surgeries and procedures Every year, Blaney and his wife Irene spend much of the winter near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, so considering that country for surgery was an obvious choice. The couple connected with an orthopedic surgeon in Mexico on Nov. 11. Just seven days later, he left the hospital with a new hip—and a $16,000 medical bill. “The hospital, everything, was top-notch, spotless,” he said. “The nurses were fantastic. The doctors were great. It’s more than worth the money, it’s worth double or triple that to feel the way I feel now compared to last week.” Nonetheless, Blaney said he is taking his bill to Manitoba Health, and hopes part of the cost will be covered. Blaney said that he had his other hip replaced in 2017 and a knee replaced in 2019. While there were wait times for both, they were nothing like what he would have faced this time around. “Just imagine the people out there waiting for heart surgeries or cancer surgeries that are being put off, too,” said Blaney. “At least for me, I’m wasn’t going to die from it, but those people could be.” A spokesperson for Health Minister Audrey Gordon told Global News that the government doesn’t comment on individual cases, but said addressing the backlog is a top priority. The ministry has contracted five organizations and partners to perform more than 11,000 additional procedures to help address the backlog. Read: Researchers studying how hospital wait times can be improved by patient-facing website

Manitoba man opts for Mexican hip surgery rather than the 2+ years wait

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