Surgery

Research and provincial referral centre for specialty surgical services.

Services

The Surgical Program at Providence Health Care provides services that span the complete continuum of care. St. Paul’s Hospital provides high-acuity, tertiary level surgical services in a 12-room operating suite, while Mount Saint Joseph Hospital (MSJ) provides community-level surgical services in four operating rooms MSJ houses Providence’s Ophthalmology Program in three newly built procedure rooms. These sites function as a single Surgical Program and many surgeons operate at both sites. 

From nurses and physicians to physiotherapists, occupational therapists and social workers, the surgery program includes teams that care for patients pre- and post- surgery (with the exception of cardiac and renal patients, where care falls under the heart and renal programs).

Services at MSJ are general surgery, geriatric dentistry, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, plastic surgery and urology. Services at St. Paul’s include general surgery, gynecology and urogynecology, otolaryngology, orthopedics, plastic surgery, thoracic surgery, urology and vascular surgery. 

The program is also a provincial referral centre for specialty surgical services, including:

  • Cardiac surgery — Our Heart Centre at St. Paul’s specializes in open heart surgery, heart transplants, coronary artery bypass, and valve repair/replacement surgery, as well as insertion of mechanical heart assist devices. Visit our Heart Centre for more information.
  • General surgery – At Providence, our team of dedicated general surgeons treat patients with a wide range of surgical illnesses. Surgeons have expertise in surgical emergencies and elective general surgery and all have subspecialty training. Specialties include colorectal surgery, head and neck surgery and/or surgical oncology. For more information on general surgery, visit our General Surgery website. 
  • Gynecology and Urogynecology – The Department of Gynaecology at Providence Health Care, is part of the broader UBC Faculty of Medicine, Department of Obsterics and Gynaecology. We provide a broad range of services, including emergency services, outpatient care, and surgery for women in their reproductive and postmenopausal years of life.  Surgeries performed include a wide range of pelvic, laparoscopic, open, and hysteroscopic procedures in both inpatient and daycare settings. Our urogynecology team specializes in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgeries, which encompasses the diagnosis and treatment of pelvic floor conditions such as incontinence and prolapse in women. For more information, please see the UBC Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology website. You could also visit urogynecology websites at: Centre for Pelvic Floor or Vancouver Urogynecology & Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery. 
  • Colorectal surgery – Our centre of excellence in colorectal surgery has a specific focus on colorectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease and other diseases of the lower gastrointestinal tract. For more information, please visit our colorectal surgery site.
  • Endocrine surgery – At St. Paul’s, we have developed a centre of excellence in endocrine surgery, with a specific focus on the surgical treatment of all forms of thyroid and parathyroid disease. Visit our endocrine surgery site for more information.
  • Ophthalmology —A tertiary center for corneal transplants and retinal surgery, Providence has one of the largest ophthalmology programs in Canada. More than 5,000 cataract surgeries are performed here annually. For more information visit our ophthalmology page.
  • Orthopedics — Our department specializes in foot and ankle surgery, hand and wrist surgery, hip and knee arthroplasty (replacement) and lower limb osteotomy. For more information visit our orthopedic sites: Orthopedic Outpatient Clinic, BC Foot and Ankle, and Footbridge.
  • Otolaryngology — The Audiology Department serves as the home of the province’s Adult Cochlear Implant and Auditory Brainstem Implant Program, with some 400 recipients to date. It is the only centre in British Columbia providing these services to deaf or hard-of-hearing adults. For more information, please visit our Ear, Nose and Throat page.
  • Plastic surgery — The plastic surgery services at PHC focus in hand and wrist reconstruction and breast reconstruction but provide care within the full scope of reconstructive plastic surgery and trauma. For more information, visit plastic surgery and breast clinic websites. 
  • Urology – The urology of the male and female urinary tract as well as the male reproductive organs. Providence Health Care has the largest renal transplant program in the province. 
  • Vascular surgery – The division of vascular surgery offers comprehensive and advanced care of blood vessel disease. Through our partnership with the Department of Radiology, we are able to offer much of our care on a day surgery basis, using minimally invasive techniques. For more information, please visit the Vascular Clinic or Vascular Surgery websites. 

Outpatient Programs + Clinics

For a list of our outpatient programs and clinics click here.
 

Anesthesiology

Click here for information on the Department of Anesthesiology at St. Paul’s and MSJ.
 

Preparing for Surgery

The video below provides important information to help you prepare for and recover from your surgery. The information applies to surgery at MSJ and St. Paul’s sites.


 

Careers

For more information about working at Providence Health Care and for current employment opportunities, please visit our Careers site.