New Lois Hole Hospital operating room advancing women's health

Additional women's operating room helps reduce wait times for general, urogynecology & cancer surgery

Sharman Hnatiuk | Photo by Evan Isbister

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EDMONTON — A year ago, Lauren Scott, 27, was experiencing pelvic pain so severe she couldn’t do daily activities in her home, let alone go to work. Scott, who was first diagnosed with endometriosis at 19, learned she had an endometrioma cyst and was referred for surgery. This summer, the Edmonton resident became one of the first patients to access surgical care in the newest operating room at Lois Hole Hospital for Women (LHHW).

"Many women suffer in silence and don’t access the care they need but, thankfully, I was able to get into surgery quickly in my own community," says Scott. "The whole team at the Lois Hole took such great care of me."

Up to 1,200 additional surgical procedures could be performed annually at the Lois Hole Hospital for Women with the opening of the additional suite. The Lois Hole hospital now has five operating rooms dedicated to improving gynecology care for women across central and northern Alberta, which will increase access to general, urogynecology and cancer surgery. The facility, located on the Royal Alexandra Hospital campus, also has two obstetrical ORs.

The additional suite is part of the Alberta Surgical Initiative, a partnership between Alberta Health Services (AHS) and Alberta Health to ensure that all Albertans will receive their scheduled surgeries within clinically appropriate targets.

"Our surgical volume has been growing since the Lois Hole Hospital for Women first opened, so the addition of a new OR is an important step towards improving health outcomes for women in Alberta," says Dr. Christine Bentz, Facility Chief, Women’s Health, Royal Alexandra Hospital.

Today, Scott is living without pain and relieved she was able to get in for surgery so quickly.

"I am glad there is a dedicated hospital filled with staff so dedicated to helping women like me," says Scott. "I hope with the new OR, more women can get in for surgical sooner and get the outcome I’ve had."

Donors to the Lois Hole Hospital for Women Foundation equipped the $1.7-million operating suite, which features state-of-the-art technology and can accommodate obstetrical procedures.