Private Orthopaedic Surgery

Orthopedic wait times in Canada can stretch 12–24+ months—time that can potentially result in more pain, muscle loss, worsening deformity, and harder recovery. Private surgery offers a safe, legal path to faster care for non-emergency procedures, helping reduce delays, protect joint function, and prevent long-term damage.

Surgency is your guide—not a clinic—connecting you with out-of-province options through accredited, licensed clinics and surgeons. We help you compare options, costs, qualifications and provide you with the resources you need to make a confident, informed decisions.

Choosing your surgeon and clinic is one of the primary benefits of the private route. In orthopedic surgery, the key to a successful outcome isn't just the procedure itself, but the surgeon's judgment on when to operate, which technique to use, and how to manage your recovery.

What to look for

Experience and sub-specialization 

Orthopedics is highly specialized. You want a surgeon who focuses specifically on your joint (e.g., a hip specialist, not a generalist who does hips occasionally). Ask about:

• Annual volume: How many of these specific procedures (e.g., total joint replacements, cuff repairs) do they perform annually? High volume correlates with lower complication rates.
• Case mix: Do they routinely handle complex cases or revisions? Even if your case is "standard," a surgeon who handles complexity is better equipped to manage unexpected findings.

Credentials and training

• Verification: Confirm licensure with the relevant provincial college (e.g., CPSO in Ontario, CPSBC in BC, CPSA in Alberta).
• Certification: Look for the FRCSC designation (Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada).
• Fellowship: Ideally, look for additional fellowship training in your specific area (e.g., Adult Reconstruction/Arthroplasty for replacements, or Upper Extremity/Sports Medicine for shoulders). For a deep dive, visit How to Understand Surgeon Credentials in Canada.
• Note: all Surgency-listed surgeons have verified Canadian  licensure, provincial licensure, and FRCSC-certification (or equivalent Board certification).

Decision philosophy: “Treat the patient, not the MRI” A quality surgeon should explain, in plain language:

• Conservative options: Why surgery is the right step now versus continuing non-surgical management.
• Technique selection: Why they prefer a specific approach (e.g., anterior vs. posterior hip, anatomic vs. reverse shoulder) and how it benefits your specific anatomy.
• Implant selection: For replacements, what device do they use and what is its track record?

Outcomes and safety Request surgeon-specific or clinic-level data regarding:

• Infection rates: Should be well below 1%.
• Complication rates: DVT/PE, nerve injury, or readmission rates.
• Revision rates: How often their patients require a second surgery.
• ERAS protocols: Do they use "Enhanced Recovery After Surgery" pathways to minimize narcotics and speed up mobilization?

Imaging and planning

• Comprehensive review: Ensure they have reviewed your actual imaging discs (MRI/CT/X-Ray), not just the radiologist's report.
• Physical exam: A hands-on exam is non-negotiable to confirm that your pain source matches the imaging findings.
• Pre-op optimization: Do they assess for risk factors (smoking, blood sugar, BMI) that could affect your healing?

Facility accreditation & anesthesia plan

• Accreditation: Ensure the surgical center is accredited (e.g., CAAASF or Accreditation Canada).
• Anesthesia: Discuss the plan (General vs. Spinal/Regional). Regional blocks are often preferred in private orthopedics for better pain control and faster discharge.

Rehab and travel integration Since you may be traveling for surgery, you need a robust hand-off plan:

• Immediate post-op: Who manages your care in the hotel/recovery centre for the first 24–48 hours?
• Protocol: Do they provide a detailed, phased physio protocol to hand to your local therapist back home?
• Remote monitoring: How do they track your wound healing and range of motion remotely?

Questions to ask during your consultation

Surgeon and surgery plan

• How many of these specific procedures do you perform annually?
• What is your preferred surgical approach (and why is it best for my specific anatomy)?
• What implant or device will you be using, and what is its long-term data?
• If you encounter unexpected damage (e.g., worse arthritis or bone loss) during surgery, how do you handle it?

Recovery and aftercare

• What is the timeline for walking unassisted, driving, and returning to work?
• What kind of pain management plan is in place (multimodal, nerve blocks, etc.)?
• If I am traveling from out of province, how long must I stay locally before flying or driving home?
• Who is my point of contact if I have a concern at 2 AM post-surgery?

Costs and logistics

• Is the quote "all-inclusive" (surgeon, anesthesia, facility fee, implants, take-home meds, post-op gear)?
• What financial responsibility do I have if a revision or second surgery is required due to a complication?
• What is the emergency transfer plan? (If a serious complication occurs, which hospital am I transferred to?)

Access to private orthopedic surgery (hip and knee replacements, arthroscopy) is heavily restricted by provincial laws designed to protect the public single-payer system. Generally, provinces do not permit surgeons to charge a patient within that same province directly for a 'medically necessary' surgery covered by the public health plan.

However, surgeons are allowed to treat patients privately for 'medically necessary' surgery if they come from out-of-province. So most Canadians seeking private orthopedic surgery must travel to a province other than their own.

One exception is that if you are looking to have a minor procedure or sports medicine consultation that is not covered by the provincial plan, you might be able to see a private surgeon within your province.

Provincial Breakdown

Quebec

Quebec is the most developed, open market for private orthopedic surgery in Canada.

Following the 2005 Chaoult Supreme Court ruling, Quebec allows surgeons to become "Non-Participating Professionals." These doctors completely opt out of the public system and take zero public money, allowing them to legally charge patients directly at fair market rates—including Quebecois. Quebec has the most robust network of private surgical centers (CMS) and acts as the primary hub for out-of-province patients seeking hip and knee replacements.

Alberta

Alberta has high surgical capacity, but it is legally complicated for locals to access it—though this is potentially changing with new legislation allowing for dual practice.

Alberta uses "Chartered Surgical Facilities" largely to handle Workers' Compensation (WCB) cases and federal contracts (RCMP). While these facilities have the infrastructure for major joint replacements and ligament reconstruction, current laws restrict access for Albertans paying out-of-pocket.

Private surgeons can see patients from out-of-province, and opted-out surgeons can treat Albertans by leasing time from these chartered facilities.

British Columbia

Strict regulations make it difficult to find a surgeon who can treat BC residents privately.

The BC Medicare Protection Act heavily fines clinics that charge patients for medically necessary services, and recent court battles have reinforced these restrictions. While clinics exist to serve WCB (WorkSafeBC) and out-of-province patients, very few surgeons have fully "opted out" to treat BC residents, making private orthopedic surgery for locals nearly nonexistent.

Ontario

Ontario allows surgeons to opt out—in theory—but it is financially infeasible, so there are no opted-out surgeons.

The Commitment to the Future of Medicare Act (CFMA) makes charging for insured services onerous, and the College of Physicians and Surgeons requires private facilities to meet hospital-level standards that are too expensive for most private clinics to maintain.

Private clinics in Ontario mostly perform minor, non-hospital procedures (arthroscopy, sports medicine) or handle WCB cases. For a major hip or knee replacement, an Ontario resident has no legal option to pay privately within the province.

Saskatchewan

The public system "buys up" the private capacity.

Saskatchewan pioneered the "Privately Delivered, Publicly Funded" model. The government pays private clinics to perform orthopedic surgeries to keep public wait times down. Because the clinics are busy with government contracts, there is very little direct-to-consumer time available for private surgery.

So private surgery is available, but limited.

Manitoba & The Atlantic Provinces

Populations are generally too small to sustain high-overhead private surgical facilities. Patients in these provinces almost exclusively travel to Quebec, Alberta, Ontario, or BC.

Canadian private orthopedic surgeons must prioritize your health over profit. 

In Canada, every surgeon is legally bound by the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) Code of Ethics and Professionalism, which explicitly mandates acting in the patient’s best interest regardless of practice setting.

They are strictly licensed and audited by their provincial College of Physicians and Surgeons (e.g., CPSO, CPSA, CMQ). Recommending unnecessary surgery for profit risks license revocation and massive malpractice lawsuits.

The standard of care is identical to the public system, dictated by clinical guidelines from the Canadian Association of General Surgeons (CAGS). Furthermore, private clinics must pass rigorous Non-Hospital Medical and Surgical Facilities Accreditation Programs (NHMSFAP) to legally operate.

Yes, private orthopedic surgery is legal in Canada, but it is heavily restricted by provincial laws designed to protect the public single-payer system.

Here is how the legality works in practice:

• Under the spirit of the Canada Health Act and strict provincial health acts, it is effectively illegal for a surgeon to charge a patient directly for a "medically necessary" surgery (like a hip replacement, knee replacement, or ACL reconstruction) if that patient is a resident of the same province.
• Provincial health laws only cover their own residents. It is perfectly legal for a private clinic in Alberta or Quebec to sell a hip replacement to a resident of British Columbia or Ontario. This is why most Canadians seeking private orthopedic surgery must cross provincial borders to become "private-pay" patients.
• The exception to this rule is surgeons who elect to opt-out of the public system and practice wholly in the private system. These surgeons can see patients from their own province, but these surgeons are relatively rare.
• If a procedure is deemed not medically necessary or is an "uninsured service" by the public system—such as certain advanced sports medicine injections (like PRP or stem cell therapies) or specific unlisted arthroscopic procedures—it is completely legal to pay a private surgeon to do it within your own province.
• It is fully legal for certain third parties—such as Workers' Compensation Boards (WCB), the RCMP, the military, or professional sports teams—to purchase private surgery for individuals in any province to get them back to work faster.

For a more in-depth overview, please read How Private Surgery Works in Canada.

The cost of private orthopedic surgery in Canada varies widely depending on the complexity of the procedure, the hardware or implants required, and the facility's location.

For minor, outpatient procedures—such as a carpal tunnel release, trigger finger release, or a simple diagnostic arthroscopy—costs typically range from $3,000 to $9,000.

For more complex joint and ligament surgeries requiring general anesthesia, specialized implants, and a full operating room team—such as a total hip replacement, total knee replacement, or ACL reconstruction—you can expect to pay anywhere from $16,000 to $40,000+.

For more granular pricing info, visit our Cost Comparison guide or the Procedure Guide for the specific procedure you are interested in.