Surgical Performance and Wait Times

This performance update provides surgical data from October 1 to December 31, 2021.

Results as of December 31, 2021 (posted on February 17, 2022)

Between October 1 and December 31 2021, there were 17,317 surgeries performed, with 78.5 per cent of patients receiving their surgery, or an offer of surgery, within three months, 88.3 per cent within six months, and 96.2 per cent within twelve months. 

In addition to reporting the wait time from when surgery was booked to when surgery was provided, we also report the wait time from the booking date to the date the patient could have received surgery, since some patients choose to wait longer than the earliest date offered to them.

The percentage reflects the proportion of surgeries that were performed or offered within 3 months of the booking date. "Patients Waiting" counts the number of cases on that date in which a patient hasn't had surgery yet and has waited longer than three months. Area of Service indicates the location of the surgical centre in which the surgery took place, not the patients' place of residence.

There were 16,683 patients on the wait list who had already waited six months on December 31, 2021. Between October 1 and December 31, 2021, percentage of surgeries performed within six months:

• Province wide: 88.3 per cent;
• Regina: 81.7 per cent;
• Saskatoon: 89.4 per cent;
• In the other four service areas, percentages ranged from 93.8 to 99.2 per cent.

There were a total of 36,426 patients waiting for surgery on December 31 2021, (including people waiting less than three months). This is an increase of 33.8 per cent (or 9,203 more cases waiting) since March 2010.

The tables below give some information about recent surgical wait times in different areas of the province. They show the number of surgeries performed in the last three months, as well as how long people waited for the surgeries that were performed. They also show the number of patients currently waiting in each area. This information can give you a rough idea what the current wait times are for surgery. The tables can be sorted by specialty, so you can see how long the wait times are for a specific group of procedures like orthopedics or urology. They can also be sorted by area.

Current Wait Times - Median/90th Percentile

This table shows the median and 90th percentile wait times for the surgeries that were performed in the last three months. The 90th percentile wait time is the time by which nine out of 10 (90%) of patients received the procedure. The median is the time by which five out 10 (50%) of patients received the procedure.

Table - Waits by Service Area and Specialty

This table shows how long patients waited according to established wait time categories -- ranging from within 3 weeks to more than 12 months. Wait times are shown as the percentage of patients who had their surgery within that time category.

Graph - Distribution of Waits

This graph shows the distribution of wait times among patients who recently had surgery. It shows that most people get their surgery in the first few months after their procedure is booked by a surgeon, while other people wait many months from the time of booking. Some people have shorter waits because their procedure is urgent.

Wait Time Trends

The following three graphs show how surgical data and trends are monitored in the province. This report shows the monthly trend over the last 14 years of the median and 90th percentile wait times. You can refine your search by selecting an area of the province.

Counts of Patients Waiting by Time Already Waited

This report shows the number of patients waiting for surgery at the end of each month over the past 14 years. You can define your search by selecting an area of the province.

Surgical Volumes

This report shows the number of surgeries performed each month over the past seven years. You can refine your search by selecting an area of the province.

Click on the following links to see wait time information on some common procedures performed for cancer or suspected cancer. The cancer wait time cases reported here are a subset of the total reported surgery cases. (Cancer cases are also included in other data shown on the website.) These links will open as PDF documents.

Cancer Surgery Wait Times by Area of Service

Selected Procedures:

• Hysterectomy
• Lymph Node Dissection/Biopsy
• Mastectomy
• Nephrectomy
• Radical Prostatectomy
• Resection of Bladder
• Resection of Bowel, Colon, or Rectum
• Thoracotomy
• Thyroidectomy

Since 2005 there have been pan Canadian benchmarks for access to health services, including some selected surgical procedures.

Click on the links below to see current data and trend graphs for Saskatchewan's performance against each of the pan Canadian benchmarks for surgery.

• Pan Canadian Benchmarks and Target Dates for Achieving Them
• Knee Replacements
• Hip Replacements
• Hip Fracture Repair
• Cataract Surgery
• Cardiac Bypass Surgery (CABG)

Check this interactive tool provided by the Canadian Institute for Healthcare Information (CIHI) to see Saskatchewan's performance compared to other provinces.

Radiation therapy is the responsibility of the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency. Information on the benchmark "radiation therapy within four weeks of being ready to treat" is available on the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency website.