What makes CMH’s Surgical Program Distinct?
CMH’s Surgical Program delivers high quality care and a broad range of sophisticated surgical services with the goal of providing timely access and an enhanced patient experience, close to home. Along with General Surgery, we offer specialized surgery in areas such as Urology, Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT), Breast Reconstruction, and Orthopedics. Surgeons at CMH have the expertise to respond to technological advances in the way surgery is performed including Minimally Invasive Surgeries (MIS) that use smaller incisions for faster, less painful recovery.
Programs Details
Every year we perform over 8,500 general and specialty surgeries — that’s 23 surgeries each and every day.
We are one of only 50 provincial hospitals that participate in the National Surgery Quality Improvement Program that links quality to the surgical program by monitoring and aligning processes with best patient outcomes.
Nine expansive state-of-the-art Operating Rooms provide our surgical teams with high-tech equipment, monitors, and space. Each operating room provides articulating ceiling-mounted booms that hold tools and equipment up and out of the way, “smart” surgical lights that automatically eliminate shadows on the surgical area, and a special air handling system forms a sterile air curtain around the patient.
Highly-skilled specialized surgeons enable expanded surgical specialties in orthopaedics including spine, hand, shoulder, foot, and ankle surgery that complements CMH’s hip and knee joint program. Our hip and knee replacement program has consistently lower than average provincial wait times.
The Surgical Program meets metrics for Cancer Care Ontario wait times. Our breast cancer surgeries use the most up-to-date equipment and techniques to offer a full range of services typically available only at teaching centres, including complete bilateral breast reconstruction.
Our Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS), a best practice, is expanding. MIS improves patient recovery through smaller incisions that reduce pain, reduce infection rates, and allow patients to return home sooner. CMH offers MIS of the middle ear, spleen, gallbladder, bowel and bladder resection, and total and partial nephrectomies (kidney removal). We are one of only 20 hospitals province-wide to offer MIS ear surgeries.
Investing in your Surgical Department
Today’s surgeries are faster, more precise, effective and efficient. They are also less painful and heal faster thanks to developments in technology, such as Minimally Invasive Surgery. Our surgeons require the most up-to-date tools to provide patients with the best care possible. Investing in surgical tools and technology helps increase our capacity, reduce wait times, improve patient recovery, and attract the brightest surgeons to our community.
Patient Care Partners
Diagnostic Imaging Laboratory
Pharmacy
Oncology
Fracture Clinic
Emergency Department
Surgical Inpatient Unit
Intensive Care Unit
Paediatrics
Staff Leaders
Chief of Surgery
Dr. Ingrid Whitehead
Chief of Anesthesia
Dr. Laura Puopolo
Director, Surgical Services
Irene Harder
Manager, Inpatient Surgery & Rehab
Sandra Bradshaw
Manager, Perioperative Services/OR
Aubrie Graham-Mendoza
Learn More
Advancing surgery to improve lives.
