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Surgery

Welcome to Surgery

Our Surgery team has various highly qualified healthcare professionals that support a wide range of surgical procedures across 11 surgical specialties. 

Our specialized surgical care in the areas of cardiac, dental and oral, ear, nose and throat, general, obstetrics and gynaecology, ophthalmology, plastics, thoracic, urology and vascular is firmly tied back to our goal of delivering clinical excellence in surgical services. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Protecting patient information is important for us at Southlake. To ensure your personal health information is accurate andshared without delay with your healthcare team, it would be recommended only one member of your family is chosen to speak with our staff. This person can ask questions about your care on behalf of you and your family. Although not mandatory, this is where a Power of Attorney for Health would be best to help with this process.

A cataract is a clouding of the lens inside the eye which, over time, progresses to the stage where vision becomes blurred. Cataracts are not uncommon and most cataracts are related to aging. According to research by the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, about 50 per cent of people between 55 and 64 years of age, and 85 per cent of people over 75 years of age will develop cataracts in the next 10 years of life.

Cataract surgery is generally recommended when a cataract reduces your vision to the point that you are no longer able to read or drive.

Other than cloudy or blurry vision, are there any other symptoms of cataracts?
Other common symptoms of a cataract are:

  • Faded appearance of colours
  • Glare in headlights, lamps or sunlight may appear too bright (a halo may appear around lights)
  • Poor night vision
  • Double vision or multiple images in one eye
  • Frequent prescription changes in your eyeglasses or contact lenses

If you have any of these symptoms, please consult your ophthalmologist, optometrist or family physician.

Please visit our After Care page for this information after your surgery.

Anemia is a medical term that means a person does not contain enough red blood cells in his or her body. Red blood cells are crucial as they contain hemoglobin which carries oxygen to your lungs and then to your tissues. 

Some forms of anemia are temporary and may be caused by:

  • A poor diet that includes a shortage of iron, vitamin B12 or folic acid in your blood
  • Blood loss such as during menstruation, a bleeding ulcer or surgery
  • Certain medications which interfere with your body’s ability to produce red blood cells

Other types of anemia are chronic and may include the following:

  • Cancer or cancer treatment
  • Chronic diseases such as kidney failure or severe arthritis 
  • Inherited blood disorders

A simple blood test will check your red blood cell and hemoglobin levels.

Southlake’s Peri-Operative Blood Conservation Program improves blood transfusion practices by promoting alternatives to blood transfusions. These alternatives concentrate on advancing patient care and well-being in a cost-effective manner. This program is part of the Ontario Nurse Transfusion Coordinators Program, funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health — more commonly known as ONTrac. Southlake is one of 25 centres throughout Ontario with a Blood Conservation Coordinator. 

The blood conservation program aims to:

  • Decrease the need for blood transfusions during a scheduled surgery
  • Promote alternatives to publically donated blood transfusions in surgical patients
  • Educate patients and their families, physicians and staff about the benefits and risks of blood transfusions

Please visit both our Preparing for Care pages and Surgery’s Preparation and Registration page. Both have information on how you can prepare for your surgery by planning ahead with our Southlake health team.