Qikiqtani hospital marks surgical milestone

The doctor who helped perform the first laparoscopic hysterectomy at Iqaluit’s Qikiqtani General Hospital says her patients appreciate not having to leave the territory for this type of care.

When Dr. Kaitlyn Carson was hired as the hospital’s full-time gynecologist-obstetrician in August, she, along with a team of professionals such as ultrasound technicians and lab technicians, created an obstetrician-gynecologist program in Iqaluit.

Prior to that, gynecologists from Ottawa would come to Iqaluit a few times a year for a week at a time.

“[If there was] a blizzard, a flight didn’t come in, you would miss your opportunity and have to wait another several months before you could be seen,” said Carson.

Now patients in the Qikiqtani region can access a whole suite of gynecological care at any time of the year.

“Patients have been very appreciative for the lack of travel,” Carson said.

While visiting doctors working temporarily in Iqaluit have performed some types of hysterectomies there before, Carson and her team performed the hospital’s first laparoscopic total hysterectomy in November.

Laparoscopic surgeries are performed using a thin tube with a light source and camera, inserted through a small incision. Doctors can see what they are doing guided by the camera’s footage, which is displayed on a monitor.

These types of surgeries result in shorter recovery times, smaller scars and less pain and less bleeding after the operation.

Carson said she and her team have now done several laparoscopic hysterectomies. The equipment can also be used to remove ovarian cysts, perform tubal ligation — which is a permanent procedure to prevent pregnancy — and look for and treat painful conditions such as endometriosis, a disease which can make it more difficult to become pregnant.

Carson grew up in Ontario, went to medical school in Toronto, and received her gynecological training in St. John’s, N.L. She said she took the job in Iqaluit because it provided a unique opportunity to expand access to health care.

In fact, she and another visiting doctor are also making the rounds in the Qikiqtani region.

They’ve travelled to Pond Inlet, Clyde River, Arctic Bay, Pangnirtung and Igloolik to provide physical exams and assessments.

“Basically, to be able to see patients face to face and talk to them, explain to them, provide recommendations,” Carson said.

The suite of services at Qikiqtani hospital is still growing. Once some more specialized equipment arrives, Carson’s team will be able to perform hysteroscopies, which involves using a camera to see inside the uterus to find polyps and fibroids and remove them.

Health Minister John Main stood in the legislative assembly in March to announce the hospital’s milestone laparoscopic hysterectomy and congratulate the medical team who made it possible.

He mentioned another milestone in his speech — doctors performed the territory’s first cardiac-related procedure at Qikiqtani hospital in February by placing a heart monitor in a patient.

“Having these procedures available in territory means shorter travel times to access treatment,” Main said.