Kemptville District Hospital (KDH) as obstetrician/gynecologist Dr. Tammy LeRiche performed the first ever laparoscopic hysterectomy at the 40-bed community hospital.

Dr. LeRiche is an accomplished surgeon who has been performing laparoscopic hysterectomies for 11 years, having established a successful day surgery laparoscopic hysterectomy program in Brockville as head of the Women’s and Children’s Program at Brockville General Hospital for a number of years.

The successful surgery signalled the start of the new same-day discharge laparoscopic hysterectomy program at KDH, the latest service made available for patients in the local communities that KDH serves and the wider Ottawa region thanks to a partnership with The Ottawa Hospital (TOH) for gynecology.

The same-day discharge laparoscopic hysterectomy program at KDH offers tangible benefits both for patients and the regional health system itself:

• Laparoscopic hysterectomies are minimally invasive, which often results in less post-op pain, reduced blood loss, fewer blood clots, less scar tissue, and a lower risk of infection.
• The KDH program is helping to decrease long wait lists in the region for the procedure.
• With this new program KDH is helping to train the next generation of obstetricians/gynecologists, providing an opportunity for medical residents to learn from experienced surgeons like Dr. LeRiche and her colleagues.

“KDH and TOH have a long history of working together to improve access to care,” said KDH’s CEO, Frank Vassallo. He noted that in 2017 the two hospitals created an innovative partnership for hip and knee replacement surgery that helped to reduce wait times for patients throughout the region. Spinal surgery, with both an orthopaedic and neurological component, was added to the orthopaedic program in 2020.

“In May of 2023, we leveraged our strategic partnership with TOH to begin development of an integrated medical model for Emergency services,” Vassallo added, “and now, thanks to support from the province’s Surgical Innovation Fund, we are delighted to be augmenting our gynecology and female health services with the new laparoscopic hysterectomy program.”

“This program, much like other collaborations between our hospitals, not only ensures that patients are able to return home quickly and safely, but it also improves overall patient experience and access to care for everyone in our region,” said Cameron Love, President and CEO of The Ottawa Hospital. “By reducing hospital stays, those resources can be redirected to other areas of care, ensuring that more patients have access to the care they need in a timely manner.”

Other services made possible by the KDH-TOH partnership for gynecology are a day surgery program for other gynecological concerns like endometriosis, fibroids and polyps, which began in the fall of 2022, and a gynecology clinic, established in September of 2023. In this clinic, Dr. LeRiche provides services related to contraception, fibroids, polyps, dysfunctional bleeding/menstrual irregularities, post-menopausal bleeding, and ovarian/adnexal masses.

Dr. LeRiche commented on the speed with which the same-day discharge laparoscopic hysterectomy program came together in the five months following the opening of the gynecology clinic. “It speaks to the cohesiveness of the team that KDH has assembled,” she stated, giving credit to both medical and nursing leadership, including KDH’s Chief of Staff, Dr. Colin Sentongo, Vice President of Nursing/Clinical Services and Chief Nursing Executive, Jennifer Ellis, and Manager of Clinical Programs, Tanya Deans.

“This new program is an example of how we’re increasing surgical services at KDH to accommodate the increased demand,” stated Dr. Colin Sentongo, KDH’s Chief of Staff. “This is Phase I,” he added, “the surgical program is set to expand with additional surgeons and additional procedures.”