Liana Hart knew one day that she would need surgery. Diagnosed with severe scoliosis and congenital myasthenia, a condition which gravely reduced her lung capacity, Liana wasn’t able to keep up with her family and peers in normal day-to-day activities.
Five surgeons over five years had declined to operate due to the difficulty of the procedure, especially when combined with complexities from Liana’s other illnesses. As she tried to find a solution, her quality-of-life deteriorated significantly.
Liana eventually met with University Health Network (UHN) orthopedic spine surgeon, Dr. Stephen Lewis. Initially considering a career in sports medicine, Dr. Lewis was instead drawn to the evolving field of spine surgery. Upon joining the Sprott Department of Surgery at Canada’s number one hospital, he was soon seeing some of the country’s most complex surgical cases – including Liana.
“Patients are referred to us from all across the province and even across the country,” says Dr. Christian Veillette, Division Head of Orthopedic Surgery at UHN’s Sprott Department of Surgery and Schroeder Arthritis Institute. “Either due to the technical difficulty of the procedure or the medical complexity of the case, UHN is a place of hope for patients who are still seeking a solution to their condition.”
Doing what’s never been done in surgery
Thanks to the talented team who were able to stabilize Liana and the technology available at UHN to support the surgery, Dr. Lewis and his colleagues were able to attempt a more complex procedure and make a more effective correction of her spine.
“We have this amazing centre in Toronto where we have the staff and resources to handle these more complex cases,” Dr. Lewis says about the advanced technology and sub-specialities within UHN’s Division of Orthopedic Surgery. “With our skills and resources, there are almost no cases we can’t do.”
Liana is now free from the pain of her condition and is able to enjoy life in ways that had not been previously possible.
A new age of surgery
Cases like Liana’s are just the start of what’s possible in surgery at UHN. Opening in 2028, UHN’s new surgical tower will welcome a new age of orthopedic surgery at Toronto Western Hospital. With the integration of robotics and the expansion of digital surgery, the tower will build upon an already world-class team. The availability of these techniques right in the operating room will equip surgical teams to perform with greater precision, seeing the outcome of each step in real time.
Ultimately leading to shorter wait times and faster recovery for patients, this new tower will increase UHN’s surgical capacity by 50 per cent over the next decade. For complex cases like Liana’s, this could mean sooner access to these life-changing procedures.
“Everyone at UHN is dedicated to build the best surgical environment and patient experience at the new tower – to create something really special,” says Dr. Veillette.
The surgical tower will not only be a transformative change for UHN’s Division of Orthopedic Surgery, but for all surgery at Toronto Western Hospital. It will serve as a place of inspiration and possibility for those in need of UHN’s expert care by allowing UHN’s talented surgical teams to reach more patients with their life-changing work, as well as train the surgical teams of tomorrow, both within and beyond our hospital walls.
No one ever changed the world on their own but when the bright minds at UHN work together with donors we can redefine the world of health care together.
