Vancouver Forum: specialist promoting private clinic - Vancouver Forum

I'm not surprised by this, the BC Medical system is more than a joke, I'm not sure I have seen any worse health care in my life.

I had a nasal septum reconstruction surgery in Early Dec.  I was reffered to Dr. Ritchie Younger (ENT) in Vancouver.

The wait list in about two months and was fully covered by the MSP!!!!!!!

It depends on what type of Nasal surgery.  I've met people that are still waiting for theres. 

But for Nasal Septum Surgery I didn't have to wait at all...

With reference to your latest news clip on a gentleman awaiting back surgery through the B.C. Medical system who could receive the surgery within two weeks by having it via a private clinic, I would like to report a similar experience.  I had been attending an ear/nose/throat specialist for chronic sinus infections, caused by previous nasopharynx cancer,.  He recommended minor surgery to enlarge the opening between my nasal passage and sinus, but first referred me to a sinus specialist in Vancouver  for a biopsy to ensure there was no further evidence of cancer.  After examination by the Vancouver specialist, this doctor ignored the request for a biopsy and informed me that I required a complete Nasal Septal Reconstruction which would require 1.5 hours of surgery.  He told me the wait for this surgery through the B.C. Medical Health system would be three to five years or he could do the surgery at his private clinic within a month at a cost to me of $5,000.  I saw this same specialist a month later to receive the results of a CT scan he had done on my first visit and this time he stated the wait through the public health system would be seven to ten years and he urged me to have the surgery via his private clinic which he would schedule within a month.  I wrote to the Minister of Health for B.C. for clarification of the long wait period who could not or would not verify the length of wait for this surgery.  I then returned to my local sinus specialist who had received no report whatsoever from the Vancouver specialist.  The local specialist was surprised at the new diagnosis by the Vancouver doctor and told me I definitely did not require a nasal septal reconstruction but only the minor surgery he had previously suggested.  I received that minor surgery within a month through the B.C. Medical system and this has resolved all my sinus problems.  I therefore question whether or not some of the drastic surgeries on the long waiting lists are actually necessary and perhaps a second opinion by a qualified physician/surgeon should be considered by those on wait lists for surgery.  I personally felt I was being urged by the Vancouver specialist to have an operation I did not need and prompted, with mis-information, to have the surgery at a private clinic at high cost to me.