We research every surgeon’s training and practice, and verify their credentials, before can list.
General surgeon in Kamloops offering private hernia repair, gallbladder removal, perianal procedures, soft-tissue excisions, and breast surgery.
General surgeon with 13 years in practice. Focus on minimally invasive hernia, gallbladder and anorectal surgery, plus diagnostic colonoscopy and endoscopy.
Kelowna-based general surgeon with 33+ years of experience. Focused on hernia repair. Previously Division Head at Kelowna General Hospital.
FRCSC-certified general surgeon specializing in minimally invasive and mesh-free hernia surgery, gallbladder removal, and additional focus on anal reconstruction/ rejuvenation.
General Surgeon with over two decades of experience, specializing in hernias and minimally invasive procedures.
You can reach out without a referral. Intake teams answer questions, share pricing ranges and walk you through next steps.
A formal consultation typically needs a referral, plus recent imaging and records. Many clinics can help arrange the referral.
All surgeons listed on Surgency offer virtual consultations, so you don’t need to travel until you and the surgeon have agreed on a plan.
General surgery covers the everyday cornerstones of surgical care—hernia repair, gallbladder removal, hemorrhoid treatment, breast and colorectal procedures. This page is a practical guide for patients and caretakers exploring private general surgery in Vancouver: scope of procedures, MSP opt-out considerations, and a list of accredited general surgeons in BC.
Note: in general, BC residents cannot pay privately for surgery within BC. Surgeons can opt out of MSP, but it's very rare in BC compared with Alberta and Québec. For more general surgery options in Canada, view Montréal, QC.
More than 373,000 surgeries are performed in British Columbia each year, including tens of thousands of general surgery procedures—hernia repair, gallbladder removal (cholecystectomy), appendectomy, breast surgery, hemorrhoidectomy, and colorectal procedures among them. Medically necessary general surgery is delivered through the publicly funded Medical Services Plan (MSP).
Private general surgical options do exist in BC—more so than in many other Canadian provinces. But Canadian regulations restrict private BC surgeons from accepting payment for medically necessary general surgery from BC residents. The exception is a surgeon who has opted out of MSP, who may then treat BC residents privately. Opting out is allowed, but it's very rare in BC compared with Alberta and Québec.
Private pay for purely elective surgeries (e.g. cosmetic, LASIK) is allowed under current regulations.
This reality is why some BC patients seeking timely general surgical care choose to travel out of province.
Current regulations: BC allows opted-out surgeons to treat local residents privately, but this is very rare compared with Alberta and Québec, and Surgency does not currently list any opted-out surgeons in BC.
General surgeons diagnose and treat a broad range of conditions involving the abdomen, digestive tract, skin, and soft tissues, as well as breast, hernia, and minor vascular problems. The most common reasons people seek general surgery care include:
Please consult your physician for more guidance.
It depends on the procedure and setting. For purely elective, non-essential surgeries (such as cosmetic lipoma, cyst removals, laser pilonidal sinus treatment, hemorrhoid banding/sclerotherapy), BC residents can pay out of pocket for surgery within BC.
But for essential general surgeries (e.g. hernia repair, gallbladder removal, appendectomy, colorectal procedures, etc.), the answer is generally no. That is why most British Columbians who seek private general surgery go out-of-province.
Yes and no—you can reach out to any of the private surgeons listed on Surgency without a referral. Their intake teams are happy to answer questions, explain what they treat, share pricing ranges, and walk you through next steps.
However, to book a formal consultation with the surgeon, you'll typically need a referral from your family doctor or nurse practitioner. Don't have one? Many of the clinics can help coordinate a virtual GP appointment to get the referral paperwork sorted. All surgeons listed on Surgency offer virtual initial consultations, so you don't need to travel until you and the surgeon have agreed on a plan.
Before your consultation, expect the clinic to request relevant medical records and recent diagnostic imaging (X-ray, MRI, CT, ultrasound, lab work, etc.). Having these ready speeds up the process and lets the surgeon give you specific guidance on your very first call.
This is general information, please seek professional guidance.
Generally, private surgeries performed in Canada are paid for out-of-pocket or via private insurance / employer benefits.
Provincial plans (like MSP, AHCIP, RAMQ, or OHIP) typically do not cover procedures at private clinics, though some exceptions exist for WorkSafeBC (Workers' Compensation) claims or specific inter-provincial programs.
Standard extended health benefits (e.g. Sun Life, Manulife, Pacific Blue Cross) typically do not cover the cost of the surgery itself. However, they often cover related costs such as:
If your employer provides a Health Spending Account (HSA) or "flex account," you can often use these funds to pay for the surgery. Unlike standard benefits, HSAs are usually flexible enough to cover CRA-eligible medical expenses, including private facility fees.
You may be able to get some financial relief at tax time.
Medical Expense Tax Credit (METC): You can generally claim eligible private surgery fees as a medical expense on your federal tax return. Learn more about the METC here.
BC Medical Expense Tax Credit (Non-Refundable): BC has a parallel medical expense tax credit that can further reduce your provincial tax liability. You claim eligible expenses minus the lesser of 3% of your net income or a flat threshold ($2,748 for 2026).
Travel costs: Mileage, parking, and accommodation may also be claimable if you travel more than 40 km (for travel expenses) or 80 km (for accommodation and meals) to receive medical services not available near your home.
Please consult a tax professional before claiming any private surgery fees on your taxes.
Surgency is free for patients, funded by surgeons/surgical providers.
Surgeons and providers—who meet our listing criteria—pay a flat fee to list on the Surgency platform. To maintain objectivity, there are no commissions, referral fees, nor any ranking or recommending one surgeon over another.
Surgency is patient-first. Our goal is to make the process of finding a private surgeon as simple as possible. You choose who to contact. Learn more in our Advertising Policy.
There's no single price. "General surgery" covers everything from minor skin procedures to complex abdominal operations, so cost depends heavily on the procedure, the type of anesthesia, surgeon experience, the facility, and the specifics of your case.
As a general guide, private general surgery in Canada commonly ranges from $1,000 to $4,000 for minor outpatient procedures under local anesthesia; to $15,000+ for complicated hernias. Costs tend to be lower in Québec, and higher in Alberta and Ontario.
The surgeon's fee, anesthesia, and facility fee make up most of the bill, and complexity is the biggest driver—a simple outpatient procedure costs far less than an operation needing general anesthesia and an overnight stay.
Pre-op imaging, medications, and follow-up care may or may not be bundled in, so it's best to ask each clinic for a written, itemized quote before you decide.
This is general information, not a quote—pricing varies by clinic and case.
Private surgeons typically charge a consultation fee because a surgical consult involves clinical work before, during, and after the appointment.
Most consultation costs range between $200 - $400, however they can be up to 10% of the overall surgery costs. In many cases this fee will get rolled into the total cost of the surgery itself—ask the surgeon.
A surgical consultation isn’t a “meet and greet.” It’s a formal medical assessment where the surgeon may:
Private clinics also cover operating costs that public hospitals don’t fund in the same way, including:
The consultation fee helps support these resources and the infrastructure required to provide timely, organized care outside publicly funded hospital operations.
As a family doctor in the public system, I believe transparency is a form of care. I created Surgency to help my patients struggling on long waitlists who wanted to understand all their options for timely medical attention.
Surgency is a free resource designed to empower and educate—helping you understand private pathways and find accredited surgeons within Canada. I hope Surgency brings you clarity.
Dr. Sean Haffey
Review each surgeon’s credentials and experience, then request a virtual consultation. No commitment to surgery. No referral needed.
