More than 300,000 surgeries are performed in Alberta each year, including over 13,000 hip and knee replacements alongside tens of thousands of other orthopedic procedures—hand, wrist, and elbow surgeries like carpal tunnel release, trigger finger release, and elbow replacement among them. Most upper-extremity surgeries are delivered through the publicly funded Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan (AHCIP).
Private hand, wrist, and elbow surgery options in Edmonton are currently limited for Albertans. While some services are available privately (certain elective surgeries, ophthalmology, cosmetics), many Edmontonians pursue interprovincial private upper-extremity surgery when local wait times are not workable.
Current regulations: For most hand, wrist, and elbow procedures, Albertans must travel out-of-province to access private care—unless the surgeon has fully opted out of AHCIP, in which case they may provide private surgery to Albertans within the province (note: some of the surgeons listed below have opted out).
Looking ahead: Bill 11 may change these regulations by enabling Edmonton-based surgeons to offer private hand, wrist, and elbow surgical services to Albertans without opting out of the public system.
