London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) hosts a slew of routine surgeries every year, and necessary as they may be, many aren’t considered emergent in nature. Knee replacements, hernia repair, foot, ankle and other sports related injuries—these more common procedures account for thousands of hours of operating room (OR) time, which can sometimes be difficult to accommodate when more complex and urgent cases understandably take priority. This bottleneck led to a major re-envisioning of how our hospitals approached surgery.
“We had to address the urgent need of patient backlogs so that everyone could receive the care they deserve in a timely and efficient manner,” says Dr. Abdel-Rahman Lawendy, orthopaedic surgeon and site medical director at LHSC’s ambulatory surgical centre.
An off-site surgical centre designed to improve patient flow, enhance recovery and alleviate the strain on health care made worse by the pandemic, LHSC’s aptly named Surgical Centre is an internationally recognized facility and the only one of its kind in Canada. Having first opened its doors two years ago, in the face of a global pandemic, it has already served over 3900 patients. And what’s more, it’s starting to get noticed in a pretty big way.
As someone familiar with injuries and rehabilitation, NHL Stanley Cup champion and fellow Londoner, Nazem Kadri, knows how stressful the prospect of surgery can be. So, with a deep-rooted sense of community and the desire to help, Nazem, in a remarkable act of generosity and magnanimity, donated $1 million in support of the since renamed Nazem Kadri Surgical Centre.
“It’s overwhelming spending lots of time with doctors and learning about your body,” he says. “But the number one priority in life should be your health.”
Self-sufficient and self-contained, the facility is currently home to two ORs, a waiting room, a medical device reprocessing room for sterilization and a 10-bed pre/post operative recovery suite. Furthermore, with the groundwork for a third OR already in place, the centre has the potential to accommodate approximately 1000 additional cases per year. The ambulatory centre is staffed by surgeons and staff of LHSC who continue to meet hospital accreditation standards at the Surgical Centre.
“Being able to provide patients with this innovative model of care is incredible and people are taking notice,” Dr. Lawendy says. “However, to continue this and to increase patient capacity, donor funding is essential.”
Faster recoveries, enhanced patient experiences and reduced healthcare spending have garnered considerable interest and positive recognition from hospitals across the country, the Canadian government itself and other organizations globally.
With the Nazem Kadri Surgical Centre now sitting upon the world stage, the bar has been raised for how we approach low acuity surgery. A win for our hospitals; a win for innovation; and a win for patients everywhere.