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Alberta Surgeries Stall: Cardiac, Cancer Waits Surge
30 Jan
Summary
- Critical cardiac and cancer surgery wait times are worsening.
- Only 11% of bypass surgeries met targets in October 2025.
- Cancer surgery wait times have dropped significantly since 2019.
Albertans are facing extended wait times for critical cardiac and cancer surgeries, prompting significant concern among health experts. Data from October 2025 reveals that only 61% of all patients received their surgeries within clinically recommended periods. Specifically, the timeliness for cardiac bypass surgeries plummeted to 11%, a stark contrast to 60% in October 2019, with some patients waiting months for life-saving procedures.
Similar trends are evident for cancer surgeries, where only 51% were completed within recommended timelines in October 2025, down from 65% six years earlier. Experts warn that these delays could allow cancers to advance beyond treatable stages. The situation is exacerbated by a shortage of healthcare workers, including anesthesiologists, and a provincial strategy to utilize chartered surgical facilities, which critics argue shifts rather than creates capacity.
The Alberta government acknowledges the need to reduce wait times, citing population growth and operational factors. They highlighted record surgical volumes in the past fiscal year and a plan to increase capacity through chartered facilities. However, concerns persist that this approach may divert resources from public hospitals, impacting access to urgent and complex procedures.
