True versus reported waiting times for valvular aortic stenosis surgery

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Surgery
• Health Services Research
• Public Health

Background:

• Current definitions of surgical waiting times may not accurately reflect patient experience.
• Accurate waiting time metrics are crucial for healthcare system evaluation and patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a universally accepted definition for cardiovascular surgery waiting times.
• To compare actual waiting times for aortic stenosis surgery in British Columbia using a new definition versus the current one.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective data analysis of patients undergoing aortic valve surgery for aortic stenosis in British Columbia (1991-2000).
• Data sourced from British Columbia Cardiac Registries and Medical Services Plan databases.
• Calculation of 'true' waiting times from initial physician contact to surgery.

Main Results:

• The true median waiting time was 243 days, 3.2 times longer than the currently reported 75 days.
• 39 patients died while awaiting surgery.
• Patients utilized more healthcare resources during the waiting period than post-surgery.

Conclusions:

• Actual waiting times for aortic stenosis surgery in British Columbia are substantially underestimated.
• A proposed definition for cardiovascular surgery wait time is the interval from the patient's first relevant medical contact to the date of surgery.