A woman from London injured in a car accident says she has no choice but to see to see a doctor in the United States after waiting for almost two years for a diagnosis of an ontarium column surgeon.
Sydney Gesualdi was hit in a red light in July 2023, after which it was initially diagnosed with cervical whip and tissue damage. In the weeks that followed, the 25 -year -old lost the ability to walk, began to have problems swallowing and talking, and had numbness on the face and limbs.
“None of these symptoms have disappeared, and almost two years have passed,” Gesualdi said. “I am 25 years old and I can’t walk.”
Now you have to use a wheelchair and use a neck hug at all times. The Gesualdi’s family doctor has referred to eight doctors in spinal clinics throughout the province, but so far, a consultation has been denied.
CBC News has seen the rejections of Toronto Western Hospital, the London Health Sciences Center (LHSC) and Trillium Spine Center. Waiting times and heavy houses are cited as the reason not to take the patient, as well as the condition that is potentially out of the reach of practice.
LHSC said in a statement that care teams carefully review each spinal surgery reference and prioritize cases based on medical emergency. The acuity of a patient determines the waiting time for spinal surgery and is evaluated case by case.
A statement from the University of Health of the University of Toronto (UHN) said that there is a greater demand for spinal care and that the procedures can be complex, which affects waiting times.
“Not all referred patients are adequate candidates for surgery,” said UHN’s statement.
When asked about waiting times for spinal surgeries and patient options, a spokesman for the Ontario Ministry of Health said the province has connected almost 10,000 people with column surgeries during the last year and is working to improve access to spinal surgeries.
“Since 2018, we have increased the medical care budget by more than 31 percent, investing more than $ 85 billion in the system only this year,” Emma Popovic wrote. “Together, the actions that our government is taking have led Ontario to achieve some of the shortest waiting times in Canada, with almost 80 percent of people who receive their procedure in clinically recommended destination times.”
Gesualdi says he is frustrated, with pain and wants answers, so much that he plans to pay $ 40,000 to travel to New York to see a spinal surgeon to perform tests and obtain a treatment plan. She has had to raise funds to cover the cost.
The Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) would pay, but only if the patient has a request for medical procedures “outside the country” signed by a Canadian doctor who indicates that the procedure is medically necessary, not available in Ontario and non -experimental.
But receiving that letter is not possible without a surgeon evaluating it, says Gesualdi.
“Receiving this letter has been almost impossible, and that is why I sent so many references to these surgeons to try to write this letter, and each one has refused,” he said. “It seems that there is a great disconnection [in the process]”
System ‘Backed in many ways’, says the expert
The long waiting lists for the evaluation and care of the column are a devastating problem, said Dr. Hamilton Hall, an orthopedic column surgeon and executive director of the Canadian Spine Society (CSS).
“In a situation such as a car accident or paralysis, the system works very well because it is based on the urgent people look first, but it has a chronic problem, more disabling but not deadly … can take months or even a year before a specialist in the View column,” Hall said.
“Surgery is not necessarily the answer. Seeing a surgeon does not mean that it will be cured, but patients need to see the surgeon to clarify to say that it is not a surgical solution, and then they can focus their attention on other things.”
He pointed out that waiting times cannot be resolved simply by training additional surgeons, since spinal operations also require other expensive hospital resources.
“The system is supported in many ways. It must be improved, and it must be a coordinated effort by the Government, medical care providers and hospitals. Obtaining that type of uniformity in medicine is a real challenge,” Hall said.
The Canadian Spine Society is working with specialists to create guidelines on the types of patients who need to be urgently seen and those who can wait.
Meanwhile, Gesualdi says that his condition has changed his life. Before the accident, he owned a successful eyelash extension business and now says he barely leaves his home, except medical appointments.
“I cannot express in words how devastating it has been for me and for everyone in my family, the pain that comes with the lack of normal life experiences and even milestones.”
