The Short Answer
CIHI reported that 68% of Canadian hip replacement patients received surgery within the 182-day Wait 2 benchmark in April through September 2024, compared with 75% in 2019. Wait 2 starts when a patient is ready to treat. It excludes the referral-to-consult interval. Nova Scotia’s February through April 2026 portal snapshot shows why that distinction matters: the median was 174 days for consultation and another 97 days from decision to surgery.
Why This Matters Now
Hip replacement activity has grown. CIHI reported hip procedure volumes 26% above 2019 levels in 2024. Its Canadian Joint Replacement Registry later counted 175,242 hip and knee replacements in fiscal 2024–25, up 5.3% year over year and 26.5% from 2019–20. Hip procedures performed as day surgery reached 35.8%, and robotic assistance was used in 3.1% of procedures.
CIHI said in June 2025 that the pandemic surgical backlog had effectively been cleared. Current waits therefore reflect the continuing balance between structural capacity and patient demand. In the April through September 2025 data released June 25, 2026, 65% of hip and knee replacements combined met the 182-day Wait 2 benchmark, with joint waits approaching pre-pandemic levels.
How Hip Replacement Waits Are Measured
- Wait 1 — referral to consultation: the interval before a specialist assesses the patient. CIHI’s joint replacement benchmark excludes this time.
- Wait 2 — ready to treat to surgery: CIHI measures administrative data from the ready-to-treat date to surgery. The 182-day benchmark was set in 2005, and CIHI reports April through September results for each data year.
- Provincial portals: each portal uses its own clock and reporting window. Nova Scotia reports consultation and surgery waits separately. These recent-case snapshots provide context for an individual patient’s timeline.
- Fraser Institute survey: specialists estimate Wait 1 and Wait 2. The orthopedic figures pool the specialty, while the provincial totals pool all specialties.
2026 Hip Replacement Wait-Time Data
The measures below remain separate because their clocks, geographies, and data periods differ.
| Geography | Measure | Result | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | Hip replacement, Wait 2 within 182 days | 68% | Apr–Sep 2024 |
| Canada | Hip replacement, Wait 2 within 182 days | 75% | 2019 |
| Canada | Hip and knee combined, Wait 2 within 182 days | 65% | Apr–Sep 2025; released Jun 2026 |
| Nova Scotia | Hip replacement, Wait 2 within 182 days | 64% (53% in 2023); third in Canada | 2024 |
| Nova Scotia | Portal median, Wait 1 / Wait 2 | 174 days / 97 days | Feb 1–Apr 30, 2026 |
Sources: CIHI, Wait Times for Priority Procedures in Canada, 2025; CIHI, Wait Times in Canada, 2026 and Joint Replacement Wait Times indicator; Nova Scotia Health reporting based on CIHI and the Nova Scotia Wait Times portal. CIHI benchmark percentages measure Wait 2 only.
Referral-to-treatment survey context
Fraser Institute specialists estimated a 48.6-week total orthopedic wait in 2025 and a 27.2-week orthopedic Wait 2. The reported Wait 2 estimate was 13.6 weeks beyond what surveyed specialists considered reasonable. These are physician-survey estimates for orthopedics as a specialty.
| Province | All-specialty total wait estimate | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario | 19.2 weeks | Wait 1 + Wait 2 |
| British Columbia | 32.2 weeks | Wait 1 + Wait 2 |
| Quebec | 32.5 weeks | Wait 1 + Wait 2 |
| Saskatchewan | 34.8 weeks | Wait 1 + Wait 2 |
| Alberta | 36.0 weeks | Wait 1 + Wait 2 |
| Manitoba | 39.1 weeks | Wait 1 + Wait 2 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 43.5 weeks | Wait 1 + Wait 2 |
| Nova Scotia | 49.0 weeks | Wait 1 + Wait 2 |
| Prince Edward Island | 49.7 weeks | Wait 1 + Wait 2 |
| New Brunswick | 60.9 weeks | Wait 1 + Wait 2 |
| Canada | 28.6 weeks (15.3 + 13.3) | Wait 1 + Wait 2 |
Source: Fraser Institute, Waiting Your Turn 2025, published December 2025. Every provincial figure in this table is an all-specialty physician-survey estimate. None is a hip-specific measurement.
For province-specific context, see Pathway’s guides to private orthopedic surgery in Manitoba and private orthopedic surgery in Nova Scotia. Each guide discusses the local wait environment and available care pathways.
What Drives the Wait
Capacity and demand
Completed hip surgery volume has risen above 2019 levels, while benchmark performance remains below 2019. This combination points to continuing pressure on surgical capacity as demand grows.
The first wait stays outside the benchmark
A 182-day benchmark result begins after the patient is ready to treat. Nova Scotia’s separate portal measures show how a long referral-to-consult interval can make the full patient wait much longer than the benchmark statistic suggests.
Local lists move differently
Portal data describe recent cases within a defined window. Hospital, surgeon, urgency, and local scheduling determine an individual timeline. A portal result provides context for that timeline.
What You Can Do While You Wait
- Ask which date started your current wait and whether the number you received is Wait 1 or Wait 2.
- Check your provincial portal using the same procedure, hospital, and reporting window.
- Ask the surgical office how it manages cancellations and how to keep your contact details current.
- Follow the activity, medication, and health-preparation plan provided by your clinician.
- Keep copies of imaging, reports, medication lists, and consultation notes if you plan to seek another opinion.
Would a second opinion help clarify your options?
A consultation can help you review your diagnosis, surgical options, expected costs, and scheduling factors.
Book a consultationWhen to Explore Private Hip Replacement
Some patients gather information about private care while they remain on a public list. This can be useful when pain or reduced mobility affects daily responsibilities, work, caregiving, or a time-sensitive plan. A consultation gives you a clinical opinion and a written understanding of costs and logistics. The decision belongs to you and your surgeon.
Pathway’s hip replacement cost guide explains the financial components. The hip replacement service page outlines the procedure pathway.
Private Surgery in Canada — The Basics
Private orthopedic surgery operates within Canadian provincial regulation. Patients generally pay directly or use eligible insurance or financing. Ask for a written quote, the surgeon’s credentials, the facility details, and the follow-up plan before deciding.
How Pathway Surgery Fits In
Pathway connects patients with fellowship-trained Canadian surgeons and coordinates records, scheduling, travel, follow-up, and recovery logistics. A dedicated care team — concierge, patient care, and nursing — supports the process. The patient and surgeon make the medical decision together.
Pathway’s published how-it-works guide states that consultations are usually available in 1–4 business days and surgery is commonly scheduled in 2–4 weeks after consultation and quote approval. Timing depends on the case, surgeon availability, and pre-operative clearance.
The Bottom Line
Canada’s hip replacement benchmark captures Wait 2 only. In 2024, 68% of hip patients met the 182-day benchmark, while the separate Nova Scotia portal showed a 174-day median consultation wait before a 97-day median surgical wait in early 2026. Ask which clock applies to every number you receive.
You can also compare the related knee replacement wait-times guide.