The Reimer Clinic

About The Reimer Clinic

Our Services:

pre-endoscopy consultation with a gastroenterologist or general surgeon
screening colonoscopy for colon cancer prevention
colonoscopy and gastroscopy for diagnostic purposes
fast access
patients and referring physicians are treated with respect and dignity

All OHIP-covered services are "free" to insured patients.

Patients may contact us to book an appointment, but referrals from another physician are preferred where possible.

The Reimer Clinic - For Health and Peace of Mind

Wait Time

Current Wait Times

In-office consultation: Now booking February 2012
Procedure dates: Now booking February 2012
Urgent consults: Next working day -- call us by phone at 519-957-9730 or 613-366-2021.

Note: Urgent consults will generally be seen the next business day. If needed, a procedure can follow as soon as the patient can complete their preparation. Referring physicians: to ensure immediate service, please call us if you have patients to be seen on this schedule. Thank you.

When the Wait TIme is Too Short

The Reimer Clinic seeks to provide patients with an appointment and procedure within a few weeks of referral. Patients who wish to proceed more slowly should contact us two or three weeks before their desired appointment time. Likewise, physicians who wish to send referrals now for patients to be seen months into the future are asked to send their referrals to us when the patient is ready to receive care. We are pleased to offer fast access to our care with very short waiting lists.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 01 February 2012 13:30

Referrals

Physicians: Fax the Physician Referral Form to 519-957-9732 or to 613-366-2025.

Patients: Ask your physician to send us the referral form. If you do not have easy access to a physician, please contact us to book a consultation.

Screening and Prevention Options

How do I keep from getting colon cancer?

Several options exist to reduce your risk of dying from colon cancer. The recommended choices are the fecal occult blood test, flexible sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy.

The stool for blood test (also called the FOBT test) requires that several stool samples be sent for analysis to determine if blood is present in the stool. In a study in the New England Journal of Medicine, the FOBT test identified only 23.9% of patients who had an advanced pre-cancerous lesion as determined by a colonoscopy performed right after the FOBT test. This test needs to be repeated every two years. It reduces death from colon cancer as compared to no screening at all. It is considered a "cancer detection" test, and not a "cancer prevention" test. This is because cancers tend to bleed more often than do polyps that have yet to become cancerous. The Asia Pacific consensus recommendations for colorectal cancer screening suggest that this test is appropriate for use in resource-limited countries.

Colon Cancer Facts

What is colorectal cancer?

Colon cancer is 90% curable if caught early -- if caught late, it is 90% fatal. Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in North America. In 2009 the Canadian Cancer Society estimates that 22,000 Canadians will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer and 9,100 of us will die of it. Put another way, 1 in 14 men and 1 in 15 women will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Colonoscopy is the best test to prevent colon cancer.

How does colorectal cancer start?

Most cancers develop on the inner lining of the large bowel from gland-type polyps. You can think of polyps as flat lesions, like a pitcher's mound in baseball, or as pedunculated lesions like a mushroom. Some polyps are harmless and others grow to become cancerous. The pathway from normal mucosa, through a polyp stage to a cancer takes about ten years on average. Some cancers are more aggressive and grow more quickly; others more slowly. The photograph shows two polyps and a cancer.