Hamilton woman waits in pain for hip replacement, saying health-care system failing patients

Each day Tina Moffatt waits in agonizing pain for her hip replacement surgery is "soul crushing." 

The 55-year-old Hamilton woman has waited over five months since her family doctor determined her hip was plagued by "severe" osteoarthritis and, according to her medical records, would likely require surgery. 

That appointment was in December and she was officially referred to a surgeon in February, but Moffatt said she's still in limbo waiting for her first consultation appointment to be booked and surgery date set.

As she waits, the pain radiating from her left hip is so debilitating she's begun taking prescribed opioids to cope, although they leave her feeling foggy and numb, Moffatt said. She's also been told other pain management options, like steroid injections, shouldn't be administered until after she knows when her surgery will be.

She can't work, attend family barbecues, or, for the most part, leave the house because of her deteriorating physical and mental health. 

"It's just terrible," said Moffatt. "I'm waking up in the middle of night because I'm crying from the pain."

Moffatt said she's willing to do whatever it takes to speed up the process, requesting to be referred to a surgeon in the region — or beyond — with the shortest wait time and calling her health care providers and local MPP for help. But the wait continues.

"When you're devoting most of your mental and emotional energy to just not being a nightmare to be around because you're in so much pain, you've got nothing left," Moffatt said.

"I'm literally rotting away." 

Moffatt's situation demonstrates how, despite Ontario's efforts to reduce surgery backlogs and speed up joint replacements, some patients in extreme pain continue to wait for months.  

The Arthritis Society of Canada has been advocating for more action from provincial governments to address the surgical backlog, which president and CEO Trish Barbato said is still "in crisis" following the pandemic. 

The vast majority of hip and knee replacement patients suffer from arthritis, and surgery is often the only way to relieve pain long-term, says Barbato. But the longer they wait, the more they struggle to work and even do simple daily tasks.

"We're definitely concerned about all of the measures and costs that people have to incur while they're waiting," she said. 

"Their mental health is suffering severely. There are so many impacts."