The wait time data provided here are for scheduled tests, treatments and services only. Patients who require emergency care are not placed on a wait list.

Cataract Surgery

Cataract surgery is performed in the Prairie Mountain Health, Southern Health-Santé Sud and Winnipeg regional health authorities. Ask your surgeon where you are having your cataract surgery.

What is Cataract Surgery?

A cataract is a small cloudy area in the lens of the eye that blocks the passage of light to the retina.  Cataract surgery is the removal of the cataract and implantation of an artificial lens to correct vision loss.

Cataract Surgery Wait Times
Regional Health Authority
Facilities
Median Wait Time
(in weeks)
Prairie Mountain Health Brandon Regional Health Centre 13
Minnedosa Health Centre 8
Swan Valley Health Centre 32
Southern Health-Santé Sud Portage District General Hospital 36
Winnipeg Misericordia Health Centre
 15
Western Surgery Centre 9

Data for January 2021

Information on this page reflects wait times for every patient awaiting cataract surgery in Manitoba whether they are waiting for surgery on the first eye or second eye. Wait times indicated here are median, which means they represent a mid-point; some wait times are longer than those indicated, while others are shorter.

Some factors that contribute to wait times:

  • there is generally a longer wait for surgery for the  first eye than there is for the second - the wait times on this page represent a median of both.
  • patient wait times vary by surgeon. If your condition or circumstances change while waiting for surgery, it may be advisable to contact your ophthalmologist to discuss your priority for surgery, or contact your optometrist or family physician to request a referral to an ophthalmologist with a shorter wait time.
Cataract Surgeries Performed
Regional Health Authority
Facilities
Number of surgeries performed
(per month)
2020/2021
Fiscal Year to Date1
2019/2020
Fiscal Year1
Prairie Mountain Health Brandon Regional Health Centre 49 628 1,037
Minnedosa Health Centre 11 263 404
Swan Valley Health Centre 36 255 238
Southern Health-Santé Sud Portage District General Hospital 11 200 318
Winnipeg Misericordia Health Centre 232 5,430 10,941
Western Surgery Centre 511 2,420 1,403
Manitoba Total 850 9,196 14,341

Data for January 2021

1 Fiscal year is April to March.

Cataract Surgery Historical Information

Historical data for the previous 13 months is available by clicking the link below:

View the historical information here - PDF pdf
View the historical information here - Excel excel