Surgery Wait Times

Wait times for surgery can vary. Some surgeons can have longer wait times than others. Your choice of surgeon is made by you and your family doctor while considering their current wait times and your particular needs. 

Surgery wait times are available for the following procedures:

Hip Replacement

This surgery replaces the hip joint with an artificial joint. 

^{50% of patients are treated within 204 days
90% of patients are treated within 512 days}

Timeframe: April 1 to September 30, 2024

Historical Results (CIHI)

Knee Replacement

This surgery replaces the knee joint with an artificial joint. 

^{50% of patients are treated within 333 days
90% of patients are treated within 674 days}

Timeframe: April 1 to September 30, 2024

Historical Results (CIHI)

Cataract Surgery

This surgery includes the removal of a clouded lens (or cataract) from the eye to improve vision.

^{50% of patients are treated within 352 days
90% of patients are treated within 563 days}

Timeframe: April 1 to September 30, 2024

Historical Results (CIHI)

Emergency Hip Fracture Repair

This surgery repairs emergency hip fractures. 

^{50% of patients are treated within 21 hours
90% of inpatients are treated within 66 hours}

Timeframe:  October 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024

Historical Results (CIHI)

Understanding the wait time

The 90% wait time shows how service is performing overall. Some patients may wait longer and others less. The time you wait will depend on how urgent your situation is and the availability of health care resources. If there is a change in your symptoms while waiting, please see your health care provider to get reassessed.

Hip and Knee Replacement and Cataract Surgery:

The wait time measured for hip and knee replacement and cataract surgery is from your appointment/booking date (when you and your surgeon decided that you needed surgery) to the date of your surgery. This does not include the wait time from your visit with your family doctor and the referral received for an appointment to see a surgeon. 

The wait time may be influenced by:

• your health status;
• your own request for a later surgery date;
• your request to cancel or reschedule surgery;
• your surgeons availability/time-off; or
• holidays and operating room slow down (e.g. summer months).

Emergency Hip Fracture Repair:

The wait time measured for inpatient emergency hip fracture repair is from the time of your inpatient admission until the time of your hip repair surgery.

The wait time may be influenced by:

• A requested delay:  This delay can be at the request of the surgeon or anesthesiologist for further pre-operative testing, or stabilization of a patient’s condition.
• Priority of the emergency:  Occasionally, several after-hour emergency surgeries may need to be done and surgeons will have to prioritize which cases go first. This can cause delays for the more stable ones that can safely wait.