Daily cataract procedures double since opening of new outpatient clinic: Health PEI

A photo shows one of the operating rooms at the Cataract Outpatient Clinic in Charlottetown. (Source: Health PEI)

Health PEI says the number of daily cataract surgeries performed on the Island has nearly doubled within the first three months of working with the new Cataract Outpatient Clinic in Charlottetown.

According to Health PEI, the clinic performed 1,140 cataract surgeries between Dec. 1 and March 1, bringing the total number of cataract surgeries performed on the Island to 1,245 in that period, which is nearly double the 682 surgeries performed during the same period last year.

Health PEI CEO Melanie Fraser said the use of the new clinic has also freed up time at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital’s operating room.

“With the volume of surgeries being done at the clinic, we’ve been able to optimize the operating-room schedule for all types of surgery, including cataract,” said Fraser. “That means more patients are receiving the care they need sooner, and it’s helping cut wait times for other procedures.”

The clinic is expected to treat up to 3,600 patients in the 2025/26 fiscal year.

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