Four out of ten sick children in Canada face unsafe wait times for spinal surgery, according to a new report.

The report published today, Monday, also estimates that delays in accessing spinal surgeries for children cost the Canadian healthcare system at least $44.6 million.

"Wait times in Canada for the spinal surgery that children need far exceed the clinically recommended safe time frame in several provinces," according to the report from the Canadian Conference Board, a research center and nonprofit research organization.

The report added, "In addition to pain and emotional distress, wait times leading to surgical delays result in increased costs due to disease progression, complications, more complex procedures, extended hospitalization, readmissions, and rehabilitation trips."

The report focuses on the condition of scoliosis to highlight the broader issue of long wait times for pediatric surgeries following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Scoliosis is a condition in which the spine is curved sideways in an "S" or "C" shape. While most patients can be treated with braces and exercises, severe cases may require interventions such as surgically implanted rods or spinal fusion. The report estimates that 2,778 children are currently waiting for scoliosis surgery in Canada.

While the clinically recommended time frame for spinal surgery in children is six months, the report estimates that only 38% of pediatric scoliosis patients undergo surgery within that time in Canada.

According to available data, the situation appears to be most critical in Nova Scotia, where 68% of pediatric patients receive back or spine surgeries after the recommended six months. In the report's analysis, Nova Scotia was followed by British Columbia (45%), Saskatchewan (44%), New Brunswick (37%), Ontario (29%), and Alberta (13%).

The report indicates that long wait times for surgeries can lead to further curvature of the spine, complications, and the need for more complex procedures, estimating that this could cost the healthcare system $44.6 million while also creating an economic impact of $1.4 million in lost productivity as caregivers take time off work to care for children.

The report explains that "more comprehensive and complex surgery increases the risk of potential adverse events and surgical complications, leading to a higher likelihood of prolonged hospital stays, readmissions, and additional procedures." "These costs rise as the cohort of children waiting for surgery grows."

Recommendations from the report include increased investment in pediatric healthcare, enhancing surgical capacity to reduce the backlog of surgeries, and prioritizing surgeries that were postponed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chad Leaver, Director of the Health and Human Capital Conference Board of Canada, stated in a press release, "The waitlists and backlog of pediatric surgeries have persisted for many years and have been exacerbated by COVID-19, which has stressed healthcare in Canada and around the world. While surgical volumes have improved, we will not see a significant decrease in the backlog until surgeries are performed at a greater pace than prior to the pandemic."

In Ontario alone, there were 17,091 children on surgical waitlists in 2022, representing a 26% increase during the pandemic period of 2019-2022. In British Columbia, there were nearly 7,000 children waiting for surgeries as of June 2023.

The first report in a three-part series was written by the Canadian Conference Board with financial support from the Children's Health Care Canada, a national association of pediatric health service providers.