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Updated: Jun 16, 2026
04:48
Noninvasive Determination of Vortex Formation Time Using Transesophageal Echocardiography During Cardiac Surgery
Published on: November 28, 2018
How established wait time benchmarks significantly underestimate total wait times for cardiac surgery
Jean-Francois Legare1, D Li, K J Buth
1Department of Surgery, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. jean.legare@cdha.nshealth.ca
The Canadian Journal of Cardiology
|January 27, 2010
Summary
Total wait times for cardiac surgery in Nova Scotia are more than double the reported surgical wait times. Patients presenting to emergency departments experienced shorter overall cardiac care waits compared to those seeing family physicians.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Traditional wait times for cardiac surgery do not encompass the full patient journey.
- Understanding total wait times is crucial for evaluating patient access to care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess and compare total patient wait times for elective coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.
- To identify factors influencing total wait times, including geographical location and method of presentation.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 705 patients undergoing elective CABG surgery from 2002-2005.
- Utilized cardiac surgery and provincial physician billing databases to track patient timelines.
- Calculated total wait times from initial presentation to surgery.
Main Results:
- Total wait times were significantly longer (median 109-123 days) than traditional surgical wait times (median 56 days).
- Patients presenting to emergency departments had shorter total wait times (median 73 days) than those presenting to family physicians (median 135 days).
- Geographical location (urban vs. rural) did not significantly impact total wait times.
Conclusions:
- Total wait times for cardiac surgery in Nova Scotia are more than twofold longer than traditionally reported.
- The pathway of patient presentation significantly impacts overall wait times for cardiac care.
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