This page is a practical guide for individuals exploring private orthopedic surgical care in Montréal, Québec. You'll find an overview of public wait times, regulatory considerations, and a list of accredited surgeons practicing in Québec.
Note: in general, Québec residents cannot pay privately for surgery within Québec (unless the surgeon is opted-out of RAMQ). For more orthopedic options, view Vancouver, BC; Calgary, AB; Edmonton, AB; Toronto, ON.
Orthopedic surgeons specialize in conditions affecting the musculoskeletal system—bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, and muscles. Common concerns that bring patients to an orthopedic specialist include:
It may be time to see an orthopedic surgeon if:
An estimated 424,384 surgeries are performed in Québec each year. Some 75,000 to 100,000 are for orthopedic surgeries.
Most medically necessary orthopedic surgeries are delivered through the publicly funded Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ). However, unlike Ontario, Quebec does permit surgeons to "opt out" of RAMQ—allowing them to provide private services directly to Quebec residents within the province.
Many of the surgeons listed below are opted-out. Look for "Accepting patients from all provinces."
Québec has the most established private surgical landscape in Canada, making it a popular option for Ontario residents. Opted-out surgeons and private clinics operate in Montréal and other major city centres, offering privately funded orthopedic procedures to Québec residents seeking faster access to care.
Current regulations: Quebec'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 system. However, regulations continue to evolve, and not all procedures or surgeons are available privately.
What this means for you: Québec residents generally have more in-province private orthopedic options than patients in most other Canadian provinces. Depending on your procedure and location, you may be able to access private surgical care without travelling out of province.
Chirurgien orthopédique senior spécialisé dans la reconstruction complexe de la hanche et du genou, avec 12 000 chirurgies réalisées en 25 ans. Il est une autorité reconnue en chirurgie pelvienne et en arthroplastie de révision dans l'un des plus grands centres de traumatologie du Québec.
It depends on the procedure and setting. For purely elective, non-essential surgeries (such as cosmetic and ophthalmology), Québec residents can pay out of pocket for surgery within Québec.
But for essential surgeries (e.g. hip replacements, knee arthroscopy, ACL reconstruction, etc.), the answer is generally no. That is why many Québecois seek private surgery go out-of-province.
The only exception to this is private surgeons who are 'opted out' of RAMQ may see Québecois within Québec.
Oui. Note : le chirurgien exigera probablement des informations médicales et des diagnostics (imagerie, analyses de laboratoire, etc.) avant la consultation.
En général, les chirurgies privées pratiquées au Canada sont payées de sa poche ou par l’assurance privée ou les avantages de l’employeur.
Provincial plans (like RAMQ, OHIP, MSP, or AHCIP) typically do not cover procedures at private clinics, though some exceptions exist for WCB (Workers' Compensation) claims or specific inter-provincial programs.
Assurance privée
Les prestations de santé étendues standard (par exemple Sun Life, Manulife) ne couvrent généralement pas le coût de la chirurgie elle-même. Cependant, ils couvrent souvent les coûts connexes tels que :
Compte des dépenses de santé
Si votre employeur offre un compte de dépenses santé (HSA) ou un « compte flexible », vous pouvez souvent utiliser ces fonds pour payer la chirurgie. Contrairement aux avantages sociaux standards, les HSA sont généralement assez flexibles pour couvrir les frais médicaux admissibles à l’ARC, y compris les frais d’établissement privé.
Crédits d’impôt (fédéraux et provinciaux)
Vous pourriez obtenir un certain soulagement financier à la période des impôts.
Veuillez consulter un professionnel de la fiscalité avant de réclamer des frais de chirurgie privée sur vos impôts.
Les coûts d’une chirurgie orthopédique sont élevés.
Elles varient considérablement selon la procédure, vos conditions de santé sous-jacentes, l’expérience du chirurgien, le type d’anesthésie, etc., et peuvent coûter entre 5 000 $ et 50 000 $+.
For an overview on private surgery costs, see our Resources on Private Surgery Costs.
Les chirurgiens privés facturent généralement des frais de consultation parce qu’une consultation chirurgicale implique un travail clinique avant, pendant et après le rendez-vous.
Une consultation chirurgicale n’est pas une « rencontre ». C’est une évaluation médicale formelle où le chirurgien peut :
In a private setting, the surgeon generally isn’t billing RAMQ for that time, so the consultation fee compensates them for expert assessment and diagnostic decision-making.
Les cliniques privées couvrent aussi les coûts d’exploitation que les hôpitaux publics ne financent pas de la même façon, notamment :
Les frais de consultation contribuent à soutenir ces ressources et l’infrastructure nécessaire pour fournir des soins organisés et en temps opportun en dehors des opérations hospitalières financées par des fonds publics.
Wait times depend on urgency, imaging, and OR capacity.
Si vous avez plus de 60 ans avec de l’arthrite dégénérative, vous pourriez être trié différemment d’un patient plus jeune avec un genou blocé ou une blessure aiguë ligamentaire. Le chemin le plus rapide vient généralement de : diagnostic clair + imagerie complète + soins conservateurs documentés échoués.
In the Canadian medical system, wait times are divided into two distinct stages:
In Quebec, surgical wait times are managed through a centralized provincial system designed to ensure the most urgent cases are treated first. Surgeons assign patients a priority level (1–5) based on clinical criteria, which determines the target wait time for each procedure.
The province uses a tracking system called SGAS (Système de gestion de l'accès aux services) to manage surgical wait lists. As of the 2025/2026 reforms, this system operates under the oversight of Santé Québec.
Surgical priority is not determined on a first-come, first-served basis. Instead, surgeons use Diagnosis Prioritization Codes to assess each patient's clinical situation. When adding you to the wait list, your surgeon enters specific data into the SGAS (Système de gestion de l'accès aux services) system, including:
To address surgical backlogs, Quebec has introduced new measures:
Even after a priority level is assigned, your surgery date may shift due to:
There are currently over 170,000 people on wait lists in Québec. 42,000 of whom are waiting on orthopedic surgeries—mostly hip and knee replacements.
Unfortunately, only 49% of hip replacements and 38% of knee replacements are completed within established benchmark time frames for timely care.
For hip replacements, 50% of patients are treated within 27 weeks, and 90% are seen within 61 weeks.
For knee replacements, 50% of patients are seen within 36 weeks, and 90% are seen within 69 weeks.
