Canada · Hip replacement
Canadian hip replacement waiting time vs paying privately or going abroad
Prices checked 26 October 2026 (Taipei time)
Short answer
Days from the decision to operate to hip replacement: median and 90th percentile; 69.2% were treated within the national benchmark (28,463 cases, April to September 2025): median 120 days; 1 in 10 waited over 321 days (Canada (national), 2025). Published prices abroad start at C$8,910 in Poland, before flights and a hotel.
- Official wait
- Median 120 days; 1 in 10 waited over 321 days (2025)
- Pay at home
- Not verified
- Abroad, before travel
- about C$8,910 to C$19,590 in 4 countries
- Time abroad
- About 10 to 14 days in many cases: 2 to 4 nights in hospital, then time near the clinic until the surgeon says you can fly. Ask for the clinic’s own rule
The official waiting figure
- Median 120 days; 1 in 10 waited over 321 days — Days from the decision to operate to hip replacement: median and 90th percentile; 69.2% were treated within the national benchmark (28,463 cases, April to September 2025). Canada (national), 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 flights, hotel and time off work.
| Country | Price range | Difference vs lowest home price |
|---|---|---|
| Hip replacement in Poland | about C$8,910 to C$11,590 | — |
| Hip replacement in Hungary | about C$9,780 | — |
| Hip replacement in Thailand | about C$10,370 | — |
| Hip replacement in Mexico | about C$19,590 | — |
Add your flight and hotel
Add a return flight and 10 nights to see whether the trip still costs less than paying in Canada.
When not to travel
- Anyone whose home surgeon has not confirmed that a hip replacement is the right operation.
- Serious heart or lung disease, or a recent blood clot, unless the hospital’s anaesthetist has reviewed you in advance.
- Travelling alone with nobody to help you for the first weeks after surgery.
Next steps
Hip replacement from Canada: questions
How long is the Canadian wait for hip replacements?
Median 120 days; 1 in 10 waited over 321 days (Canada (national), 2025). Days from the decision to operate to hip replacement: median and 90th percentile; 69.2% were treated within the national benchmark (28,463 cases, April to September 2025).
How much does a private hip replacement cost in Canada?
We have not verified a published price yet.
Where abroad is a hip replacement cheapest from Canada?
Before travel: Poland about C$8,910 to C$11,590, Hungary about C$9,780 and Thailand about C$10,370. Add a return flight and 10 nights' hotel to compare the whole trip.
Do I need a referral for a hip replacement abroad?
Clinics differ, but a referral or a letter from your own doctor makes the result far more useful: it says what question the hip replacement 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.