title: Assessment of patient waiting times for vascular surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess patient waiting times for vascular surgery and to determine if complications of the disease develop while the patients are awaiting surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A university-affiliated tertiary care institution.
  
  
  METHODS
  All 554 patients who underwent scheduled vascular surgical procedures between April 1995 and October 1996.
  
  
  METHODS
  A literature review carried out to develop guidelines for acceptable waiting times for surgery associated with various vascular disorders based on their natural history (benchmark target); actual waiting times, defined as the interval from the date each patient was booked for surgery to the date of admission to hospital for the procedure; the proportion of patients admitted within the benchmark targets; and whether prolonged waiting time placed patients at risk for complications of their disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 554 patients, 382 (69%) were admitted within the benchmark waiting times. Of 84 patients having an abdominal aortic aneurysm, the aneurysm ruptured during the waiting period in 6, and 4 of them died, for a complication rate of 7% and a death rate of 5%. Two of the 6 aneurysms ruptured after the patient had waited longer than the target time. Three of 100 patients with symptomatic carotid artery stenosis awaiting admission for carotid endarterectomy suffered ischemic stroke, for a 3% complication rate; all had waited longer than the target period. One patient suffered occlusion of a femoropopliteal bypass graft while awaiting revision of a stenosed bypass graft.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that although most patients are admitted for operation within the benchmark time, one-third are admitted late and may suffer serious complications of their disease while awaiting admission for the procedure.
authors.affiliation: Division of Vascular Surgery, Vancouver Hospital, BC.
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Turnbull
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Y N
authors.initials: YN
authors.lastname: Hsiang
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Salvian
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nanji
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: O'Hanley
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Doyle
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Fry
mesh_terms: D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D001166:Arteriovenous Shunt, Surgical; D019985:Benchmarking; D001955:British Columbia / Q000453:epidemiology; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D018450:Disease Progression; D006302:Health Services Research; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery*; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014850:Waiting Lists