Canadian kids' spinal surgery waits 'far exceed' recommendations: report

Children across the country are waiting too long to see a specialist and get treatment, says a new report that highlights delays in surgery for scoliosis and the potential long-term effects on kids and the health-care system.

The report by the Conference Board of Canada said four in 10 children have surgery after six months, the clinically recommended wait time.

"Across provinces, our estimated percentage of patients receiving delayed surgical treatment beyond the recommended time frame ranges from 13 per cent in Alberta to 68 per cent in Nova Scotia," said the report, adding comparable data across jurisdictions is limited.

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is the most prevalent form of the condition, affecting about two per cent of teens. Approximately seven times more teenage girls than boys are afflicted with it, according to the report released Monday.

Severe curvature of the spine can lead to a painful deformity. Surgery involves fusing the curved part of the spine with two titanium rods to prevent it from curving further. Delays can mean kids need more complex, riskier surgery and extended stays in hospital.

The report by the independent research organization says 2,778 children in Canada are waiting for spinal surgery, but operations are often delayed by a shortage of health-care providers.

It is calling for funding to hire more pediatric surgeons, nurses and anesthesiologists. It also recommends the adoption of a pooled referral system so the first available surgeon can take on patients on a central wait list.

Emily Gruenwoldt, CEO of Children's Healthcare Canada, which commissioned the report, said there is not enough data on the number of children waiting to be referred to a specialist before they can have surgery.

"I think there's not great awareness of how our system is failing children and youth and the impacts of delays on their development," Gruenwoldt said. "The current health-care system, the way it's set up, we still expect kids to bounce back. And that's not the case."

Kandra West-Pettigrew, of Dartmouth, N.S., said her daughter Madison had surgery for scoliosis in July 2020, a year after seeing a surgeon at age 14.

She said the eight-hour operation was emotionally draining for her and her husband, especially because pandemic restrictions meant only she could visit her daughter after surgery, while her husband sat in the car outside the hospital.

West-Pettigrew said Madison had an S-shaped curvature of 65 degrees and was anxious about her appearance by the time she had surgery at Halifax's IWK Health Centre.

"Some of her friends started to bully her because of her spinal cord issue. She went through a little bit of withdrawal," she said.

"Otherwise, she was into sports. She used to play baseball. She used to be into volleyball. Some of those incidents at school, and the related anxiety around how people were relating to her, really affected her emotionally and psychologically."