THUNDER BAY — Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre says its renal program has achieved significant success in reducing wait times for life-saving vascular access surgery.
The procedure creates a connection between a kidney patient's vein and artery which allows for the fast flow of blood necessary for hemodialysis.
According to the hospital, In the 2018/19 fiscal year, the number of patients who had the procedure within the Ontario Renal Network's target wait time of 28 days increased by 85 per cent over the previous year.
It said ORN data shows that was the second highest rate of improvement among all hospitals in the province.
"Improving wait times for vascular access surgery is a high priority for the ORN, and we want to congratulate the program for their dedication and commitment to their renal patients," said Dr. Peter Blake, the network's Provincial Medical Director.
Until January 2018 there was only one vascular surgeon at TBRHSC. The arrival of a new doctor in August 2018 brought its complement to three.
Since then, "we've seen great improvements in our ability to provide surgical services for vascular access," said Dr. Stewart Kennedy, vice-president, Clinical Supports & Medical Affairs at the hospital.
According to a hospital statement Wednesday, prior to the establishment of a full vascular team patients had to either travel to southern Ontario for the surgery, or get their dialysis done through catheter access, which is not ideal over the long term.
Kennedy said "Being able to provide best practice care closer to home significantly improves the experiences and the outcomes of patients in northwestern Ontario."
The hospital's dialysis access coordinator, Kristan Cano, said northwestern Ontario has a high rate of kidney disease, especially in the Indigenous population.
Cano said the rate is trending upward, and is expected to continue to increase in the years ahead.
She said the Health Sciences Centre's program is currently meeting all the requirements established by the Ontario Renal Network for vascular access for dialysis patients.
