Many countries around the world—such as France, Australia and Denmark—have set national action plans for endometriosis care. While in Canada we have expertise in endometriosis, what is missing is a comprehensive action plan to allocate funds and resources to centres with endometriosis expertise. We believe that empowering these centres is the most effective way to address wait times for diagnosis and treatment.
There are three main domains in which support is needed.
First, there is an urgent need to improve access to surgery. Surgery is essential for many patients, whether to relieve symptoms, improve fertility or reverse damage to organs. What is missing is not surgical expertise but rather adequate operating room time to address growing wait times.
In our centre alone, there are nearly 1,000 patients awaiting surgery in the department of gynecology. This means that patients who are referred to us wait six months to be seen, followed by an additional one year of waiting if they need surgery. This backlog is frustrating for patients and providers, and it's disheartening, obviously, for patients living with terrible symptoms.