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Canadian Hospital Surgical Services 2026 — OR Management, ERAS & Wait Times Guide
Complete guide to Canadian hospital surgical services — operating room management, ERAS pathways, surgical wait times, CIHI surgical data, electronic surgical safety checklist, and surgical software.
Canadian surgical wait times are tracked by CIHI. Median waits: hip 180-200 days, knee 200-250 days. ERAS reduces LOS by 30-50%. Surgical safety checklist is a mandatory ROP. This guide covers Canadian surgical services.
OR Management
| Component | Description | Target |
|---|---|---|
| OR utilisation | OR room utilisation rate | 70-80% |
| On-time starts | First case on-time start rate | > 90% |
| Turnover time | Time between cases | < 25 min |
| Cancellation rate | Same-day cancellation rate | < 5% |
| Surgical safety checklist | Completion rate | 100% |
| Surgical site infection | SSI rate | < 2% |
| Mortality | 30-day surgical mortality | < 1% |
ERAS Pathway
- Pre-op (2-4 weeks): Patient education, smoking cessation, anaemia correction, nutrition optimisation
- Pre-op (day before): Carbohydrate drink, no prolonged fasting, chlorhexidine shower
- Day of surgery: Regional anaesthesia, minimally invasive technique, local analgesia
- Post-op (day 0): Early mobilisation within 4 hours, multimodal analgesia, minimise opioids
- Post-op (day 1): Full mobilisation, normal diet, remove catheters and drains
- Post-op (day 2-3): Discharge when mobilising independently, pain controlled
- Follow-up: 2-week wound check, 6-week review, PROMs collection
Surgical Wait Times (CIHI)
| Procedure | Median Wait (days) | 90% Treated Within (days) |
|---|---|---|
| Hip replacement | 180-200 | 365 |
| Knee replacement | 200-250 | 400 |
| Cataract | 100-150 | 250 |
| Cardiac bypass | 30-90 | 180 |
| Hysterectomy | 60-120 | 200 |
| Cholecystectomy | 60-120 | 200 |
| Hernia repair | 60-120 | 200 |
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are Canadian surgical wait times?
- Canadian surgical wait times are tracked by CIHI (Canadian Institute for Health Information). Median waits: hip replacement — 180-200 days, knee replacement — 200-250 days, cataract — 100-150 days, cardiac surgery — 30-90 days. Provincial targets vary. Wait times are a major political issue in Canada. Some provinces have wait time guarantee programmes.
- What is ERAS in Canadian hospitals?
- ERAS (Enhanced Recovery After Surgery) is increasingly adopted in Canadian hospitals. ERAS pathways: 1) Pre-op education and optimisation, 2. Minimally invasive surgery, 3. Regional anaesthesia, 4. Early mobilisation, 5. Early oral intake, 6. Opioid-sparing analgesia. ERAS reduces LOS by 30-50%, complications by 30%, and costs by 20%. Canadian ERAS Society promotes adoption.
- What is the Canadian surgical safety checklist?
- The Canadian surgical safety checklist is based on the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist. It is a Required Organizational Practice (ROP) for Accreditation Canada. Three phases: 1) Sign in (before anaesthesia), 2. Time out (before incision), 3. Sign out (before patient leaves OR). The checklist reduces surgical mortality by 40% and complications by 30%.