Plastic Surgery

Wait Time Benchmarks for Plastic Surgery

Procedure Maximum Acceptable Wait Time
Acute Conditions
Infections
Necrotizing fasciitis < 3 hours
Suppurative tenosynovitis 6 hours
Felon 24 hours
Pyoarthrosis 12 hours
Facial Trauma
Zygoma fracture 7 days
Orbital floor fracture (no entrapment) 7 days
Mandibular fracture (compound) < 24 hours
Panfacial fracture 7 days
Frontal sinus fracture 2 days
Nasal fracture 7 days
Facial nerve laceration 2 days
Burns
Major burn < 6 hours
Minor burn > 7 days
Hand Trauma
Flexor tendon laceration 7 days
Extensor tendon laceration 7 days
Digital nerve laceration 7 days
Proximal phalanx fracture (compound) < 24 hours
Proximal phalanx fracture (not compound) 7 days
Mallet finger 7 days
Volar plate injury 7 days
Gamekeeper thumb 7 days
Replantations
Digit 6 hours
Hand < 3 hours
Breast Related Conditions
Breast reconstruction (immediate) 4 weeks
Breast reconstruction (delayed) 6 months
Breast reduction 6 months
Gynecomastia 6 months
Breast asymmetry 6 months
Congenital breast anomaly 6 months
Congenital Anomalies
Cleft lip 4 months
Cleft palate 12 months
Velopharyngeal insufficiency 6 months
Craniofacial anomaly 12 months
Congenital hand deformity 4 months
Congenital pigmented nevus 6 months
Other Craniofacial Conditions
Vascular malformation (no obstruction) 4 months
Vascular malformation (obstruction) < 7 days
Facial palsy (with corneal exposure) < 7 days
Facial palsy (without corneal exposure) 4 months
Late post traumatic craniofacial anomaly (i.e. enophthalmos) 4 months
Cosmetic Procedures
Liposuction 4 months
Abdominoplasty 4 months
Breast augmentation 4 months
Breast implant capsular contracture 4 months
Facelift 4 months
Rhinoplasty 4 months
Nasal obstruction 6 months
Rhinophyma 6 months
Tattoo removal > 2 years
Eyelid Surgery
Ptosis (levator weakness) 4 months
Ectropion 2 months
Blepharoplasty (visual axis not impaired) 4 months
Blepharoplasty (visual axis impaired) 4 months
Elective Hand Procedures
Carpal tunnel with permanent numbness 2 months
Carpal tunnel with episodic numbness 4 months
Painful neuroma 2 months
Flexor tendon reconstruction 4 months
de Quervain’s tenosynovitis 2 months
Trigger finger 2 months
Rheumatoid/OA hand 4 months
Dupuytren’s (with joint contracture) 4 months
Dupuytren’s (without joint contracture) 6 months
Wrist ganglion 6 months
Stiff joint (MP, PIP) 4 months
Enchondroma 2 months
Ingrown finger nail 2-4 months
Malignant Neoplastic Conditions
Lesion suspicious for melanoma 2 weeks
Lesion suspicious for BCC 2 months
Lesion suspicious for SCC 4 weeks
Head and neck cancer 4 weeks
BCC positive margins 2 months
SCC positive margins 4 weeks
Head and neck cancer 4 weeks
Premalignant conditions (e.g. actinic keratosis, actinic cheilitis) 4 months
Benign Neoplastic Conditions
Nevus 6 months
Seborrheic keratosis 6 months
Cyst (inclusion) 6 months
Lipoma (interfering with function) 4 months
Lipoma (not interfering with function) 6 months
Moh’s defect < 7 days
Pyogenic granuloma 4 weeks
Sores
Diabetic foot ulcer 4 weeks
Venous stasis ulcer 2 months
Non-healing wound 4 weeks
Scar (visible area) 4 months
Scar (non-visible area) 6 months
Pressure sore 2 months
Other Conditions
Hidradenitis suppurativa 2-4 months
Axillary hyperhidrosis 6 months
Foreign body (chronic) 2 months
Gustillo IIIB compound tibial fracture < 7 days

Related Items

Canadian Society of Plastic Surgery Wait Times Benchmark Initiative

Canadian Society of Plastic Surgeons website