Canada · Heart bypass surgery
Canadian heart bypass surgery waiting time vs paying privately or going abroad
Prices checked 27 October 2026 (Taipei time)
Short answer
Days from the date patient and surgeon agree to a planned bypass to the operation, emergencies excluded: median and 90th percentile (8,546 cases, April to September 2025): median 8.7 days; 1 in 10 waited over 84 days (Canada (national), 2025). Published prices abroad start at C$13,940 in Lithuania, before travel.
- Official wait
- Median 8.7 days; 1 in 10 waited over 84 days (2025)
- Pay at home
- Not verified
- Abroad, before travel
- about C$13,940 to C$48,650 in 3 countries
- Paid by your province?
- Not reviewed yet
The official waiting figure
- Median 8.7 days; 1 in 10 waited over 84 days — Days from the date patient and surgeon agree to a planned bypass to the operation, emergencies excluded: median and 90th percentile (8,546 cases, April to September 2025). Canada (national), 2025. Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI).
- Median 8 days; 1 in 10 waited over 66 days — Days from agreeing to a planned bypass to the operation: median and 90th percentile (3,254 cases, April to September 2025). Ontario, 2025. Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI).
- Median 12 days; 1 in 10 waited over 97 days — Days from agreeing to a planned bypass to the operation: median and 90th percentile (766 cases, April to September 2025). British Columbia, 2025. Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI).
- Median 7.6 days; 1 in 10 waited over 129 days — Days from agreeing to a planned bypass to the operation: median and 90th percentile (553 cases, April to September 2025). Alberta, 2025. Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI).
Canadian waits are national figures from the Canadian Institute for Health Information, published 25 June 2026 (CIHI). Waits differ a lot between provinces. Ask your provincial health plan whether it pays anything towards planned care abroad before you book; we have not reviewed provincial rules yet.
Paying privately in Canada
We have not yet verified a published self-pay price.
Published prices abroad, in CAD
Converted at the European Central Bank rate and rounded; before travel and time off work.
| Country | Price range | Difference vs lowest home price |
|---|---|---|
| Heart bypass surgery in Lithuania | about C$13,940 | — |
| Heart bypass surgery in Malaysia | about C$20,550 to C$27,400 | — |
| Heart bypass surgery in Thailand | about C$47,280 to C$48,650 | — |
Compare with your wait and price at home
See whether the trip, with a rough travel estimate, still costs less than paying in Canada.
When not to travel
- Chest pain at rest, pain that is getting worse, or a heart attack: that is an emergency at home, not a trip.
- Anyone whose own cardiologist says they are not fit to fly before surgery.
- Anyone who cannot stay near the hospital until the surgeon and the airline agree they can fly home.
Next steps
Heart bypass surgery from Canada: questions
How long is the Canadian wait for heart bypass operations?
Median 8.7 days; 1 in 10 waited over 84 days (Canada (national), 2025). Days from the date patient and surgeon agree to a planned bypass to the operation, emergencies excluded: median and 90th percentile (8,546 cases, April to September 2025).
How much does a private heart bypass surgery cost in Canada?
We have not verified a published price yet.
Where abroad is a heart bypass surgery cheapest from Canada?
Before travel: Lithuania about C$13,940, Malaysia about C$20,550 to C$27,400 and Thailand about C$47,280 to C$48,650. Add travel, roughly a return flight and a hotel, to compare the whole trip.
Do I need a referral for a heart bypass surgery abroad?
Clinics differ, but a referral or a letter from your own doctor makes the result far more useful: it says what question the heart bypass surgery should answer, and it means someone at home will act on it.
Sources
- Wait times for priority procedures in Canada, 2008 to 2025: data tables. Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), 25 June 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
- Wait times in Canada, 2026. Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), 25 June 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
- Euro foreign exchange reference rates. European Central Bank, 23 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.