Private Hip Surgery: Toronto, Ontario

This page is for patients and caretakers exploring private hip surgery in Toronto. Browse between 4 accredited providers below.

Note: Ontario residents cannot pay privately for hip surgery within Ontario. For more hip surgeons, view Montréal, QCVancouver, BCCalgary, ABEdmonton, AB.

Private Toronto hip surgeon in the operating room

Private hip surgeons in Toronto, ON

Accepting 🇨🇦 patients
Cannot treat Ontario residents
ON
Dr. Daniel Tushinski
MD, MSc, FRCSC
Daniel Tushinski
Surgeon location icon
Location
Toronto, ON
Languages icon
Languages
English
Patients icon
Treats
Adult patients
hand holding a heart icon to illustrate surgency is free for patients
Expertise
Hip & Knee

Fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon with 13 years of experience, specializing in hip and knee replacement.

Procedural Expertise:
Accepting 🇨🇦 patients
Cannot treat Ontario residents
ON
Dr. Barry Cayen surgeon
MD, MSc, MPH, FRCSC
Barry Cayen
Surgeon location icon
Location
Toronto, ON
Languages icon
Languages
English
Patients icon
Treats
Adult patients
hand holding a heart icon to illustrate surgency is free for patients
Expertise
Hip & Knee

Dual fellowship-trained academic orthopaedic surgeon with over 15 years of experience specializing in hip and knee surgery.

Procedural Expertise:
Accepting 🇨🇦 patients
Cannot treat Ontario residents
ON
Rick Zarnett sports medicine orthopedic surgeon
MD, FRCSC
Rick Zarnett
Surgeon location icon
Location
Toronto, ON
Languages icon
Languages
English
Patients icon
Treats
Adult patients
hand holding a heart icon to illustrate surgency is free for patients
Expertise
Knee & Sports Medicine

Fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon to multiple professional sports teams with over 35 years of experience.

Procedural Expertise:
Accepting 🇨🇦 patients
Cannot treat Ontario residents
ON
MD, MSc, FRCSC
Jas Chahal
Surgeon location icon
Location
Toronto, ON
Languages icon
Languages
English
Patients icon
Treats
Adult patients
hand holding a heart icon to illustrate surgency is free for patients
Expertise
Sports Medicine

Fellowship-trained orthopedic sports medicine surgeon in Toronto, ON. Hip, knee & shoulder arthroscopy, cartilage repair. Serves as Lead Team Physician for major professional sports organizations.

Procedural Expertise:

Frequently asked questions

Can I pay privately for hip surgery in Toronto?

Hip surgeries are generally 'medically necessary,' which means they are covered by OHIP. So Ontario residents cannot pay privately for hip surgeries within Ontario.

Unlike most provinces, Ontario effectively prevents its surgeons from opting out of OHIP. That is why some Ontarians seeking private hip care choose to go out-of-province (typically to Québec, Alberta, or BC).

Curious about aftercare when travelling? Read our guide on aftercare when travelling for surgery.

Can I see a private hip surgeon without a referral?

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.

Will OHIP or extended health insurance cover private hip surgery?

This is general information, please seek professional tax guidance.

OHIP does not cover procedures at private clinics (though some exceptions exist for Workers' Compensation claims or specific inter-provincial programs).

Private insurance

Standard extended health benefits (e.g. Sun Life, Manulife, Green Shield) typically do not cover the cost of the surgery itself. However, they often cover related costs such as:

  • Post-op physiotherapy
  • Prescription medications
  • Custom braces or crutches
  • Medical devices (e.g. hip brace, crutches)

Health spending account

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.

Tax Credits (Federal & Provincial)

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.

Ontario Medical Expense Tax Credit: Ontario 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 ($2,940 for 2026).

Ontario Seniors Care at Home Tax Credit: If you are a senior with low-to-moderate income, you may also qualify for this refundable credit, which helps with medical expenses that support aging at home.

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.

Does Surgency charge anything?

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.

How much does private hip surgery cost in Toronto?

Of hip surgeries offered—hip replacement, arthroscopy, revision, resurfacing—costs vary substantially based on the surgeon's expertise, facility fees, anaesthesia, and the underlying complexities of your case.

At the low end, for an arthroscopy, costs may range between $20,000 to $28,000. While a total hip replacement ranges between $28,000 to $40,000+. A hip replacement revision could cost well over $50,000. Note: these costs are comparable to Alberta, and higher than Québec.

You will need to reach out to different clinics and request an itemized quote based on your unique circumstances. Ask for the all-in price, and whether pre-op imaging, medications, and physio are bundled.

Why do surgeons charge a consultation fee?

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:

  • review your imaging (e.g., MRI, X‑rays) and relevant medical records,
  • take a detailed history and perform a physical examination,
  • determine whether surgery is appropriate, and explain alternatives, benefits, and risks.

Private clinics also cover operating costs that public hospitals don’t fund in the same way, including:

  • administrative staff for intake and coordination,
  • facility costs such as rent, utilities, and specialized equipment,
  • technology such as private EMR systems and secure portals for sharing results.

The consultation fee helps support these resources and the infrastructure required to provide timely, organized care outside publicly funded hospital operations.

What is Surgency?

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

Credit card mockup

What a hip surgeon treats

Hip surgeons are orthopedic surgeons who specialize in conditions affecting the hip joint—including the bones, cartilage, labrum, tendons, and surrounding soft tissue. The most common reasons people seek hip-specific care include:

  • Hip osteoarthritis—the leading reason for hip replacement in Canada
  • Labral tears and femoroacetabular impingement (FAI)
  • Hip dysplasia (adult and adolescent)
  • Avascular necrosis (AVN) of the femoral head
  • Trochanteric bursitis and gluteal tendinopathy
  • Revision of a previous hip replacement

You may want a hip consult if:

  • Groin or front-of-hip pain persists beyond 6–12 weeks despite physiotherapy
  • You feel catching, clicking, or "giving way" in the hip
  • Pain limits walking, stairs, sleep, or work
  • Imaging (X-ray or MRI) shows arthritis, labral pathology, or FAI
  • You've already tried injections, physio, or activity modification without lasting benefit
  • You want a second opinion on whether surgery is the right next step

Please consult your physician for more guidance.

Public & private context for hip surgery in Toronto

Ontario performs the most hip surgeries of any province per year, averaging ~2,200, hip surgeries per month.

Chart of Ontario hip surgeries performed per month
via Ontario Health

All medically necessary hip surgeries are delivered through the publicly funded Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP), because private surgical options in Ontario are restricted. Ontario surgeons may not accept payment for medically necessary hip surgery from Ontario residents.

Unlike most provinces, Ontario effectively prevents its surgeons from "opting out" of OHIP, which would otherwise allow them to see Ontario residents privately within the province. Accordingly, some Greater Toronto residents interested in private-pay hip surgery choose to travel out-of-province for any medically necessary procedure.

Current regulations: Ontario maintains some of the stricter regulations around private surgery in Canada. The Commitment to the Future of Medicare Act (CFMA) prohibits physicians from charging patients for OHIP-insured services, and enforcement has historically been rigorous. Unlike BC, QC, or AB, Ontario has seen less legal challenge to these restrictions, and the private hip surgical landscape remains more constrained.

Typical wait times for hip surgery in Toronto

In Ontario, there are an estimated 40,000 people waiting for orthopedic surgeries. In general, Ontario is one of the faster provinces at processing surgical wait lists, but the wait is still long for many.

For all hip surgeries in Ontario, Priority 4 patients wait an average of 29 weeks, Priority 3 patients wait an average of 23 weeks, and Priority 2 patients wait an average of 16 weeks (note: these wait times combine wait 1 and wait 2). 78% of patients are treated within target times.

Average wait times aren't available for Toronto specifically, but vary substantially depending on the hospital. For some hospitals, waits are as low as 16 weeks for Priority 4 patients, and on the high end, waits average 40 weeks for Priority 4 patients.

Wait 1 and Wait 2

Wait times depend on urgency, imaging, and OR capacity.

If you’re over 60 with degenerative arthritis, you may be triaged differently than a younger patient with a locked knee or acute ligament injury. The fastest path usually comes from: clear diagnosis + complete imaging + documented failed conservative care.

In the Canadian medical system, wait times are divided into two distinct stages:

  • Wait 1: referral → specialist consult
  • Wait 2: decision to treat → surgery date

How Ontario Prioritizes who gets surgery

In Ontario, surgical wait times are not determined on a first-come, first-served basis. Instead, they are managed through a standardized provincial system called the Wait Time Information System (WTIS), overseen by Ontario Health.

When a surgeon recommends you for surgery, they assign a Priority Level (1–4) based on clinical criteria. This priority level determines your target wait time—the maximum recommended time between your decision to proceed with surgery and the procedure itself.

Priority Level Classification Definition & Assessment Criteria Target Wait Time*
Priority 1 Emergency Immediate threat to life or limb.
• Condition is critical and requires immediate intervention.
• Without surgery, the patient will die or suffer permanent, catastrophic damage.
Note: These patients do not go on a “waitlist”; they go straight to the OR.
Immediate (Target: 24 Hours)
Priority 2 Urgent High risk of deterioration or severe symptoms.
• The condition is likely to progress quickly.
• Patient is in severe pain or has severe functional impairment.
• Delay could make the surgery more complex or less effective.
14 Days (Cancer / Cardiac); sometimes 48 hrs for non-cancer urgent
Priority 3 Semi-Urgent Stable but causing dysfunction/pain.
• The condition is progressing slowly.
• Pain or dysfunction is impacting daily life but is not immediately critical.
• Unlikely to deteriorate significantly in the short term.
28 Days (Cancer); 84 Days / 12 wks (General)
Priority 4 Elective Non-urgent / Scheduled.
• Condition is stable and chronic.
• Patient has functional impairment (e.g., difficulty walking due to arthritis) but no risk of immediate death or severe progression.
• Includes most hip/knee replacements and cataracts.
182 Days (26 Weeks)

How Priority Levels Are Assigned

Priority levels are not assigned automatically—they are clinical decisions made by your surgeon. However, surgeons must follow Ontario's "Access to Care" guidelines, which consider three main factors:

1. Disease Progression

  • Fast progression – Is the tumour growing aggressively? Is a valve failing rapidly? → Higher priority (P2)
  • Slow or stable – Has the condition remained unchanged for years? → Lower priority (P4)

2. Severity of Symptoms

  • Pain – Is it manageable with over-the-counter medication (P4), or does it require hospitalization or opioids (P2/P3)?
  • Function – Can the patient work, walk, and care for themselves? Or are they largely immobile or bedridden?

3. Adverse Risk of Delay

  • Will waiting 3–6 months risk the condition becoming inoperable, or cause secondary problems such as fractures, infections, or permanent damage?