Editor: I want to share with the public my family’s experience regarding a private clinic. My husband has an inguinal hernia for a few years and it was worsening. He wished to access the Shouldice Clinic as we have had friends and family recommend it highly.
He had a pre-op assessment in early 2022 at Shouldice and they turned him down via a letter in the mail. The reason they gave was that due to his medical condition of COPD there was increased risk and that he should “have his surgery at a facility were they were better equipped” to respond in the event of an emergency should arise.”
His surgery was performed on Oct. 31 in our local hospital as day surgery – 2.5 years after he was determined ineligible at Shouldice. He had a very speedy recovery and said he had very little postoperative pain in the 102 days after surgery.
My husband’s COPD condition has been quite stable. He is not overweight, he eats well and he has always been active. In our minds and evidently in his surgeon’s option, a good candidate.
I can’t help but worry about the delay in surgeries in the future with the government’s plan to enhance and support private health care clinics, who have a history of refusing patient treatment.
We really can’t call them hospitals, as Shouldice as much as admitted they are not equipped as hospitals are to respond to an emergency.
In the case of any hernia, there is a risk that the hernia will become strangulated, with the additional related risk of gangrene setting in. This is very painful and emergency surgery would be absolutely essential.
Judy Wolanski
Member of Chatham-Kent Ontario Health Coalition
