An estimated 424,384 surgeries are performed in Québec each year, with 75,000 to 100,000 of those being orthopedic procedures—including thousands of shoulder surgeries such as rotator cuff repairs, shoulder replacements, and labral repairs. Most medically necessary shoulder surgeries are delivered through the publicly funded Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ).
Unlike Ontario, Québec permits surgeons to "opt out" of RAMQ, allowing them to provide private shoulder surgery directly to Québec residents within the province. Several of the Montréal-area shoulder surgeons listed below are opted-out—look for "Accepting patients from all provinces."
Québec has the most established private surgical landscape in Canada, and Greater Montréal is at the centre of it. Opted-out shoulder surgeons and private clinics operate across the island and surrounding communities (Laval, Saint-Hubert, Joliette), offering privately funded rotator cuff repair, shoulder replacement, labral repair, and stabilization procedures.
Current regulations: Québec's regulatory environment is more permissive than Ontario's. Surgeons who opt out of RAMQ may charge patients directly for services, including some medically necessary procedures. This has allowed a parallel private system to develop alongside the public one. Regulations continue to evolve, and not all shoulder procedures or surgeons are available privately.
What this means for you: Greater Montréal residents generally have more in-province private shoulder surgery options than patients in most other Canadian provinces. Depending on your procedure, you may be able to access private care without travelling out of province.
