As spinal surgeries increase, some Manitoba patients refused out-of-province care still feel left 'in limbo'

Manitoba's government appears to be making progress in its commitment to expand spinal care capacity, but it's not happening fast enough for some patients, who want the province to reduce the barriers to getting out-of-province care.

Data provided to CBC News suggests Manitoba has done about 15 per cent more spinal surgeries in 2024 and 2025 compared with 2023. That year, the NDP took power and scaled back the Progressive Conservative's surgery and diagnostic task force's out-of-province program.

Rob Doig feels a byproduct of that shift has left people like him in the lurch.

His cerebrospinal fluid leak (CFS) condition hasn't improved despite numerous procedures in and out of province, and his latest rejection from Manitoba Health this fall has left him "in limbo."

"It just really becomes frustrating because as the patient there's somebody that's living this who is affected, and work, social life, mental and cognitive issues, it just really, really piles on," Doig said. "I really [have] to fight Manitoba Health."

Doig, 48, has lived with debilitating neuro-spinal issues since an injury he suffered in 2016 that have left him unable to be upright for more than an hour at a time.

His Winnipeg surgeon had requested Manitoba Health send Doig to the Mayo Clinic in Minneapolis for a specialized photon CT imaging procedure in the off chance it might reveal tiny fluid leak sites they had missed in conventional CT and MRI scans.

Only two such devices exist in Canada and they're typically reserved for oncology and pediatric patients, which is what Doig says his surgeon told Manitoba Health the first time it denied the request to send him south.

Manitoba Health argued "resources had not been exhausted … in Manitoba or elsewhere in Canada," according to a rejection letter dated Sept. 2 Doig provided to CBC News.

"Having nine surgeries here … five lumbar drains … umpteen blood patches … umpteen imagings … saline intrathecal injections. … If that's not exhausting all of our efforts, I don't really know what is," Doig said.

"And I know [my doctor] has the same belief as well —that it's just mind-blowing that Manitoba Health would deny this, saying that there's other options available."

Dr. Perry Dhaliwal said recent investments — including $12 million last year put toward creating the Manitoba Spine Clinic — are helping to expand patient assessment capacity and reduce wait times in Winnipeg and Brandon.

"We've been able to work down the backlog by more than 50 per cent already in one year," said Dhaliwal, a surgeon and medical director of the Manitoba Spine Clinic.

"Just the sheer throughput of having the patients assessed is far better than it has ever been in the last 10 or so years that I've been here."