"I'll not take the time to dig up a Thesaurus for a replybut only to beg the question...was the "same" procedure available without a waiting list?I admit I don't know the answer."

Emergencies receive immediate treatment in Canada as they do in the US. In an instance of elective surgery such as this, I don't know the exact answer either, but my previous reply indicated that the same treatment is available at several Canadian centres within a period of time sufficient to avoid an elective choice turning into an emergency.