'It's a game changer': Winnipeg man grateful after getting spinal surgery south of the border

A Winnipeg man is feeling relief and hope after travelling south of the border to get spinal surgery – thanks to a program aiming to curb wait times here at home.

Robert Campbell, a 46-year-old man from Winnipeg, was diagnosed with severe spinal stenosis in January.

"They basically told me not to do anything. No lifting, not even tying my own shoes basically," he told CTV News.

After months of tests and MRIs, he was told by his surgeon it would be about a two-year wait to get the surgery done here in Winnipeg.

"It was getting to the point where I couldn't even move my arm," he said. "The pain was just relentless, 24/7 non-stop. And on top of everything, it was just too much. I don't think I could last a year waiting. Something had to be done."

That's when his surgeon told him about another option.

To cut down surgical wait times, the province signed an agreement with the non-profit Sanford Health in Fargo, ND, as a part of its Out-of-Province Medical Referrals Program.

The agreement allows the province to send non-urgent spinal patients – like Campbell – across the border.

David Matear, the executive director of Manitoba's Diagnostic and Surgical Recovery Task Force, said since the agreement was signed in February, the province has sent 86 patients for surgeries, with 14 more booked and 36 on the waitlist.

Matear said the agreement with Sanford Health will continue until the province eliminates the pandemic backlog.

"Sanford will continue to work closely with Manitoba clinical leaders to provide high-quality care in the future," a spokesperson for Sanford Health told CTV News.

Matear said the province also has agreements with out-of-province care providers for other surgeries including orthopedic hip and knee surgeries, and said Manitoba is also looking to keep expanding the program.

That has raised some worries from doctors in the province.

In a prepared statement, Doctors Manitoba told CTV News they are concerned about patients stuck waiting in the massive surgical backlog, and want to see patients get their surgery as soon as possible.

"Out-of-province surgery may be a short-term temporary option for patients who meet provincial criteria and are well enough to travel, but the primary focus should be on adding more surgical capacity right here in Manitoba," the statement reads.

"Providing surgery in Manitoba means more seamless care, with the same surgeon providing care before and after the surgery, as well as the surgical procedure itself."

Matear said that is the goal.

"I would agree that it would be nice if everything was perfect right now. Given that we're just we're still at the tail end of a pandemic, I think it's unreasonable to think that right now we're in that position," he said.

"But the task force is set up to ensure that the health care system can respond to the needs of patients both in the short and long term."

Campbell says because of the program, he was able to get his surgery done just four months after being told he needed the operation.

"Everything was beautiful, like the admission to the pre-op was friendly. You get Cadillac service and you don't need to pay for it," he said. "You just have to show up, lay down, get better and go home."

Now recovering from his successful surgery at the Sanford Medical Centre in Fargo – and half an inch taller thanks to the two bone segments used to fuse his neck – Campbell says he's thankful for the program that changed his life.

"It's the first sign of hope I've had in a long time, and it is worth it. I wish more people knew about it. It's a game changer."