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Keigan's story: one family's surgical nightmare BATTLEFORD, SASKATCHEWAN   - A Battleford family is worried their young son's future is in jeopardy because of a surgical waiting list. Keigan Claus stops breathing during his sleep – up to 80 seconds at a time. The two and a half year old was diagnosed with severe obstructive sleep apnea in April. Back then the family was told he would wait no more than three months for surgery. Seven months later, Keigan is still waiting to have his tonsils and adenoids removed. His mother, LeeAnn Claus, says she was told to sleep with her son until his problem is resolved. It did make me think, they've instructed me to sleep with him, so they must know this is dire, says Claus. On doctor's orders, LeeAnn Claus has been sleeping with her son for seven months [They've said] 'sleep with him just to keep him safe but we can't get him into surgery.' One hundred per cent, he'd be helped by the surgery. One hundred per cent, he would be breathing at night. But I have to sleep with him to make sure that he doesn't die of SIDS. It seems ironic. Claus is also concerned her son's learning and development could be affected by his lack of oxygen at night. CBC has obtained a letter – written by Keigan's specialist to a Saskatoon surgeon in April – recommending very urgent surgery. However, Barry Maber, vice president with the Saskatoon Health Region, says Keigan was not labelled as an urgent case until just three weeks ago. We go by what the surgeon requests because it is the surgeon that makes the determination of urgency on any particular case, explains Maber. We have no way of reviewing detailed clinical information on cases in order to determine whether we agree with what the surgeon is requesting or not. And so it is the attending surgeon's responsibility to assign the priority of that case at the time that they request the booking. CBC contacted the office of Keigan's surgeon. His secretary says he is refusing to comment on the issue. Meanwhile, the health district says a date has now been set in early December for the surgery. The Claus family has not yet received that notification. And they say this whole scenario has shaken their confidence in Saskatchewan's health care system. For our family, if something like this happens down the road and my child needs urgent surgery, Claus says, I'm hoping above hope that we're not in this province when that happens. -dave ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |        Dave Jackson * http://www.AwakeInPhilly.org * Phila., PA. +   ~~eFax: 253-423-7208~~  *  mailto: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it |     Remove the mythical creature from my email address to reply |             Some make it happen, some watch it happen, |            and some say, What happened? - Unknown   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Keigan's story: one family's surgical nightmare BATTLEFORD, SASKATCHEWAN   - A Battleford family is worried their young son's future is in jeopardy because of a surgical waiting list. Keigan Claus stops breathing during his sleep – up to 80 seconds at a time. The two and a half year old was diagnosed with severe obstructive sleep apnea in April. Back then the family was told he would wait no more than three months for surgery. Seven months later, Keigan is still waiting to have his tonsils and adenoids removed. His mother, LeeAnn Claus, says she was told to sleep with her son until his problem is resolved. It did make me think, they've instructed me to sleep with him, so they must know this is dire, says Claus. On doctor's orders, LeeAnn Claus has been sleeping with her son for seven months [They've said] 'sleep with him just to keep him safe but we can't get him into surgery.' One hundred per cent, he'd be helped by the surgery. One hundred per cent, he would be breathing at night. But I have to sleep with him to make sure that he doesn't die of SIDS. It seems ironic. Claus is also concerned her son's learning and development could be affected by his lack of oxygen at night. CBC has obtained a letter – written by Keigan's specialist to a Saskatoon surgeon in April – recommending very urgent surgery. However, Barry Maber, vice president with the Saskatoon Health Region, says Keigan was not labelled as an urgent case until just three weeks ago. We go by what the surgeon requests because it is the surgeon that makes the determination of urgency on any particular case, explains Maber. We have no way of reviewing detailed clinical information on cases in order to determine whether we agree with what the surgeon is requesting or not. And so it is the attending surgeon's responsibility to assign the priority of that case at the time that they request the booking. CBC contacted the office of Keigan's surgeon. His secretary says he is refusing to comment on the issue. Meanwhile, the health district says a date has now been set in early December for the surgery. The Claus family has not yet received that notification. And they say this whole scenario has shaken their confidence in Saskatchewan's health care system. For our family, if something like this happens down the road and my child needs urgent surgery, Claus says, I'm hoping above hope that we're not in this province when that happens. -dave That surgeon needs a good knuckle rapping from the medical association as an alsolute minimum! Regards Lee in Toronto

as an alsolute minimum! Regards Lee in Toronto I make a motion that Lee rap the surgeon's knucles