Inuit from Nunavut are 25 per cent more likely than non-Inuit to experience complications in the first month after surgery, new research has revealed, according to Nunatsiaq News.

The study, published May 3 in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, used information from 2011 to 2018 to compare Nunavut Inuit with non-Inuit patients who had similar surgeries, age, and medical conditions. The study relied on data from the Ottawa Hospital, which provides care for Inuit from the Qikiqtani and Qikiqtaaluk regions of Nunavut.

Inuit patients who had elective surgeries and cancer surgeries were 58 per cent and 63 per cent more likely to have complications compared to non-Inuit patients respectively. The study also found Nunavut Inuit arrive at surgery in a more advanced state of illness, increasing their risk of complications.

Dr. Donna May Kimmaliardjuk, the first Inuk heart surgeon in Canada and a study co-author, said language barriers play a significant role in the way Inuit receive care as well.