REGINA — Cancer patients in southern Saskatchewan will have better access to a specific type of surgery, thanks to completed plans to build a second interventional radiology suite at the Pasqua Hospital in Regina.
The Saskatchewan Health Authority has announced the second suite is now open thanks to funding confirmed for the project, which renovated and upgraded the existing suite as well as supported construction on another suite.
"The addition of a second IR suite will assist our specialized teams to provide patients with an alternative to more invasive surgeries that would traditionally be done in our operating rooms," said Brian Witt, SHA executive director of medical imaging.
Interventional radiology is a service that allows doctors to see inside a patient's body via ultrasound, x-ray or CT scans, in order to guide medical instruments being used during treatment.
This type of radiology can be used to treat multiple conditions, at lower risk to patients than traditional surgery, which typically requires a large incision, use of anesthesia and a longer recovery time.
“Interventional Radiology allows for procedures to be done without the use of general anesthetic and permits most patients to return home that same day with a shorter recovery time,” said Witt.
An additional suite of this type will allow for another 1,000 procedures each year, said the SHA, and renovations to the existing suite are expected to reduce the suite’s downtime due to maintenance.
Both projects are expected to help lower surgical wait times for patients in Regina.
The entire project is anticipated to cost about $4 million in total, with the provincial government pledging $1.83 million for initial renovation and construction, followed by another $549,000 for operating costs.
The Hospitals of Regina Foundation matched provincial funding with a $2.2 million commitment to the project, thanks to fundraising campaigns.
Dino Sophocleous, Hospitals of Regina Foundation president and CEO, said the investment falls in line with the foundation’s mission, to support the needs of hospitals to continue offering the best care to patients.
"This investment is only possible thanks to the generous support of our donors,” said Sophocleous. “Nothing we do happens without our community and for that we are forever grateful."
