EMERGENCY FRACTURE CARE
Whether its your shoulder, knee, wrist, ankle or anything in-between, you may have been referred to Dr. Roberts through your doctor's office or the Emergency Department for a recent injury. Once the referral is received, it will be triaged by Dr. Roberts personally according to urgency. For non-urgent problems, the usual 4-7 month wait may apply. For a recent injury that requires more urgent care, you will be seen at the Burnaby Hospital Cast Clinic usually within a few days to 1-2 weeks depending on availability of appointments and the severity of your injury.
Keep in mind that the wait at the cast clinic can be significant due to the large number of unplanned visits (for patients with fractures like you) in addition to the usual planned patients attending follow ups with Dr. Roberts. There can also be delays at admitting, the X-ray department or limited staffing in the clinic itself. Patients may also require an unexpected level of care that extends their visit (this could be you!). Although not always the case, please allow for up to 2-3 hours at the hospital. Consider this when parking and planning your day. Thank you for your patience.
Here, X-rays or further imaging will be arranged as required. Dr. Roberts will assess with you and discuss with you the options for treatment. You may or may not need surgery for your problem, but often, further follow up is still required to ensure you heal appropriately.
EMERGENCY/URGENT SURGERY
Urgent fracture surgery is typically booked on the emergency list at Burnaby Hospital to get your surgery in as soon as possible. To have your surgery done as soon as possible, it is often performed by the next available surgeon. If subspecialized care is required for a more complex problem, your care may be transferred pre operatively to a specific surgeon. If you have a complex foot/ankle injury requiring surgery, your care will be continued or may have already been transferred to Dr. Roberts.
It is important to keep in mind that there may be a wait for surgery given your type or severity of injury. Those with more severe injuries or problems may jump ahead of you in the cue and this is the nature of emergency care in Canada. Rest assured that the list is reassessed daily. You will be contacted by the operating room front desk to let you know when to fast for surgery and when to make your way into the hospital. Dr. Roberts' office will not have this information if you are on the emergency list. This process certainly requires some patience and we thank you for your understanding.