They say good things come to those who wait. But when dealing with ongoing pain from injury or health issues, long waits can be more than just an annoyance. Sometimes waiting too long means physical and mental stress, decreased job performance, and unexpected medical complications.
Our Canadian neighbors have access to world-renowned health care. But their medical system often requires extensive waits for service, especially for those surgeries not officially sanctioned as ‘priority procedures.’ More and more Canadians are choosing to visit American clinics like Longview’s Pacific Surgical Center (PSC) for comprehensive outpatient care of their orthopedic, urology, gastroenterology, podiatry, and general surgery needs.
At PSC, patients can complete lab work, physician consultation, surgical treatment, and follow-up care with up-front transparency pricing. All costs are clearly posted online, discussed with in-house medical and financial advisors, and include facility fees as well as those for the surgeon and anesthesiologist.
The lure of such a speedy, simplified process has many Canadians using outpatient surgery centers like PSC. Especially since the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) reports that “fewer Canadians received surgery…within the recommended wait times last year compared with 3 years ago.”
Long waits often mean living with extra pain, additional medication, and increased anxiety. Studies show that “waiting for general surgery mainly involves a prolonged period of decreased health and an affected psychological and social life of the patient…Social activities were affected in 39% to 48% of the patients and 18% to 23% of employed patients reported problems with work during the wait.”
At Pacific Surgical Center, skilled doctors strive to maintain the PSC mission “to provide exceptional surgical care…with greater convenience and a more affordable cost.” This is done through the use of a “very attractive alternative to hospital-based surgery, eliminating common concerns most people have. Your experience will involve exceptional care with easier access, more privacy, less paperwork, greater comfort and less stress than if your procedure were performed at a hospital.
“Our physicians use the most advanced surgical equipment and technology available. This ensures that your procedure will be fast, comfortable and minimally invasive; and it also will require less recovery time than a surgical procedure performed using older methods and instruments.”
Take knee replacement as an example. The CIHI explains that in Canada, only 73% of facilities can provide replacement surgery within the federally accepted 182-day window. At PSC, standard wait times are 4-6 weeks, well below the Canadian range.
In neighboring British Columbia alone, less than half of knee replacement surgeries occurred within that six-month benchmark timeframe. And these numbers are trending downward. In 2013, more than 70% of procedures met the benchmark, by 2018 it was down to 46%. As populations live longer, continually active lives, more medical staff are needed but regional news outlets worry because “the average doctor in B.C. retires at the age of 65, rural doctors retire two years earlier than that at the age of 63 and female physicians retire at 61…[and] About 40 percent of physicians are over age 55.”
Combine speedy turnaround with straightforward pricing and a friendly exchange rate and booking your trip to PSC is as easy as picking up the phone or filling out a quick online contact form. PSC makes it easy to do your research from the comfort of home as well.
If you choose to bill insurance, a list of accepted plans is readily available. Though for many patients on both sides of the border, PSC’s charges are often lower than the post-insurance patient responsibility portion. The U.S. Ambulatory Surgery Association shows that “procedures performed in ASCs are more efficient, taking 25 percent less time than those performed in hospitals” thus costs are kept low. In their studies, cataract surgery in a hospital averaged more than $5700 while only $2600 in an ambulatory surgery center.
When you’re ready to take charge, start by reading through PSC’s Frequently Asked Questions and details on their team of experienced physicians. You’ll also learn what to expect as you’re preparing for surgery and about any additional costs which could arise. These often cover hardware or implants, additional diagnostic information, or—for our Canadian kin—the cost of lodging and travel.
Follow the Pacific Surgical Center on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram for trending topics, relevant articles, and staff bios. PSC also has blog posts on resources, exciting new hires, and more.
Then call 360-442-7900 to make your appointment. Whether home is in Canada or the United States, the road to recovery leads to Longview’s Pacific Surgical Center.
