Winnipeg man frustrated after knee surgery cancelled just 12 hours in advance

A Winnipeg man has been left searching for answers after his knee replacement surgery was cancelled only 12 hours before it was supposed to start.

Greg was booked for the life-altering surgery before the summer, but was shocked to find out Monday he will have to wait even longer to be pain free.

“I’m pissed off, frustrated. I’ve set everything up, I’ve been waiting for this knee surgery,” he said.

Share this on X Click to share quote on X: "I'm pissed off, frustrated. I've set everything up, I've been waiting for this knee surgery," he said.

The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority announced Jan. 8 that about 80 elective and non-emergency surgeries were cancelled to make room for flu patients in hospitals.

“The numbers that we are seeing are much higher than they have been in the last couple of years and it’s affecting people in different ways,” Dr. Bruce Roe, vice president and chief medical officer with the WRHA said. “We are seeing a lot of elderly people and people with other medical issues.”

Flu cases are spiking across the country and officials don’t know if its peaked yet. In Manitoba there were 147 new cases last week alone. Since September, 95 people have been hospitalized with laboratory confirmed influenza, the majority of those patients being over age 65.

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“Right now it is impacting our elderly population and those with other medical issues. But obviously we are seeing a lot of people affected in the community across all age groups,” Roe said.

So far nine people have died from complications from the flu.

The WRHA said over 135 beds have been freed-up to treat people suffering from the flu, but Roe wouldn’t rule out that more surgeries could be affected as flu season continues.

Officials say people with existing heart or lung conditions should seek help if they develop flu-like symptoms, which include coughing, muscle aches and fever.

For now Greg waits to find out when he will see his surgery date.

“Now who knows when this surgery will be? If it’s bumped a week or am I going to be bumped all the way to the end of the line?” he asked.