I have just returned from Phoenix, Arizona, with two new hips. I flew there on Sept. 21, had the left hip replaced on Sept. 24 and the right one on Oct. 9. I flew home on Oct. 26 walking with a cane. I still don’t have a surgical date for getting either done in Victoria.
I decided at 74 that I don’t have a year or so to wait for local surgery, which I would certainly have preferred on principle, as well as financially, but the bureaucratic hurdles became too much for me at this age.
Osteoarthritis, which was barely discernible in one hip on May 26, (based on X-rays taken in March) came on very suddenly; pain and immobility crescendoed, as did impatience and general grumpiness.
That I made the right decision was confirmed when I read the report from the surgeon in Phoenix (following X-rays taken in his office) who stated: “Symptoms currently rated as severe and rapidly progressive.” The post-surgical report refers to “ complete loss of articular cartilage … He has developed what appears to be a secondary osteonecrosis.”
I have to wonder how much further my hips would have deteriorated had I waited any longer to address the problem.
It cost me $22,000 per hip. I now feel I have a new lease on life. I am already walking considerably further than I was able to before surgery and am confident the improvement will continue.
I just have to hope at my age that nothing else goes.
I have always been an admirer of medical services in B.C. Emergency surgery is exemplary, but I suspect when it comes to “elective” surgery, we older guys are overloading the system, especially in Victoria.
I inquired about having my case transferred up-Island where the load is lighter, and was told that if I did, I would have to start again at the beginning. Why data cannot be electronically transferred between health authorities is something I do not comprehend.
I investigated private treatment in Quebec (available to non-residents at about the same price as Arizona) but when I inquired whether B.C. would pay the cost of surgery here against treatment in Montreal — getting me off the wait list and getting those behind me a step up — I was told this couldn’t be done.
Clearly, there is a fixed budget for hip-replacement surgery in B.C.
An online search offers options for private surgery ranging from Romania to Thailand. I had excellent care in Phoenix, in a small hospital, not lavish by any standards, but one dedicated to surgical specialties (unlike our behemoths, which have to treat childbirth to dementia and everything in between) with its own medical imaging, X-ray capability, labs, physiotherapists and a rigorous infection-control procedure.
I was up walking the same day as surgery and left the hospital within three days.
I was lucky to have been offered the use of a house and car by friends, but I believe most out-of-town patients stay in hotels following discharge and many leave for home within the week.
My final concern is that as we age, many others might well need similar treatment at short notice.
Given our current wait-lists for surgery in B.C., anyone wanting to prevent further deterioration of a medical condition by seeking private options needs to save for health emergencies.
I was lucky in that I was able to save money during my working life but I am concerned about those not so fortunate.
Quality of life for older people facing major medical problems demands a quick response.
Geoff Giles is a Sidney resident.
