COMING TO ALBERTA
Your new hip or knee — without the wait back home.
Skip the year-plus waitlist. Have your hip or knee replacement in Alberta, sooner, with a fellowship-trained surgeon — we welcome patients from across Canada.
A well-travelled path
You're not the first to fly in for a new joint.
Patients have safely travelled to high-volume joint replacement centres for many years. It's an established model of care — not a new experiment. Surgeons, physiotherapists and family doctors routinely work together across provincial lines so your recovery feels seamless, wherever home is.
Honest answers
Is it safe to travel for surgery?
The short version: the published evidence is reassuring — and every patient still gets a personalized plan. Here's what the studies actually say.
No more complications than locals
Studies comparing patients who travelled to those who lived nearby have not shown an increase in complications, readmissions or reoperations. In some studies, travellers actually had fewer ER visits.
Flying home — mostly reassuring
Most studies on early air travel after hip and knee replacement have not found an increase in blood-clot risk. One 2022 study did report a higher rate — so we plan carefully rather than assume.
Your personalized clot plan
Every traveller gets a tailored prevention plan: appropriate blood thinners, compression stockings, ankle pumps, frequent walking on the flight and good hydration.
Reassuring, not absolute — we'll talk through your own risk profile at consultation.
Waiting has a cost
What waiting really costs you.
Drag the slider for the months you'd wait at home. These are published averages, not personal predictions — but the direction of travel is clear.
Illustrations from published averages, not personal predictions. Decline is typically meaningful within ~6 months; depression and anxiety tend to worsen between 6–12 months on a waitlist.
Treated in Alberta
In weeks — not a year-plus wait.
Near-zero loss of function, mobility or mood from waiting. Get back to the walks, the trips, the grandkids — sooner.
- Preserve physical freedom
- Protect mental wellbeing
- Recover while you're still strong
Continuity of care
How it works for out-of-province patients.
Five clear steps, from first message to settled-back-home recovery.
- 1
Send your enquiry
Fill out the confidential interest form — name, phone, and which joint. It takes a minute.
- 2
Virtual consultation
We meet by video and review your imaging together — no need to fly in for the first conversation.
- 3
Your personalized plan
A surgical, travel and recovery plan built around you — including a clot-prevention strategy for your journey.
- 4
Surgery in Alberta
Typically within weeks of your consultation. Fellowship-trained surgeon, hospital admitting privileges.
- 5
Coordinated follow-up
Telehealth check-ins, and a clear written plan shared with your physiotherapist and family doctor back home.
A note from Dr. Sharma
Welcome — even from a long way away.
If you're reading this from outside Alberta, I know exactly what's running through your mind. Travelling for surgery is a big decision — logistics, time off, family, money, and the very human worry of being far from home when you're not at your best.
I want you to know two things. First: this is a well-trodden path. We look after patients from across Canada, and the published evidence on travelling for joint replacement is genuinely reassuring. Second: you're not on your own. From the moment you send your first enquiry, through your virtual consultation, surgery, and the months of recovery back home, my team and I are the ones you call.
We'll plan your trip carefully, build a recovery you can actually follow at home, and stay in touch with your family doctor and physiotherapist so nothing falls through the cracks.
Looking forward to meeting you.
Dr. Rajrishi Sharma
MD, FRCSC — Orthopaedic Surgeon
Honest & practical
A few things to know up front.
Privately funded
These are privately funded services — generally not covered by your home province's health plan. You pay out of pocket for the procedure, facility and related costs. How payment works.
Travel & accommodation
We'll help you plan timing, flights, a comfortable stay near the hospital, and a safe return journey — so the logistics feel handled, not overwhelming.
Who it suits best
Adults who are otherwise reasonably healthy, ready for surgery, and who'd rather not lose a year or more of life waiting. We'll be honest if travelling isn't the right call for your situation.
References
The evidence behind this page.
Verify all citations before publishing. Details below are drafts pending editorial review.
- Cooper HJ, Sanders SA, Berger RA. Risk of symptomatic venous thromboembolism associated with flying in the early postoperative period following elective total hip and knee arthroplasty. J Arthroplasty 2014;29(6):1119–1122 (patients flew home ~2.9 days post-op; no increase in VTE).
- When Is It Safe to Air Travel After Total Hip or Knee Arthroplasty? JBJS Reviews, 2025.
- Nwachukwu BU, et al. Travel distance and complications after total joint arthroplasty. J Arthroplasty 2015;30(6):1058.
- Travel distance and outcomes after total hip arthroplasty. J Arthroplasty, 2024.
- Travel distance and outcomes after total knee arthroplasty. J Arthroplasty, 2025.
- Clement ND, et al. Deterioration in health-related quality of life while waiting 6 to 12 months for hip and knee arthroplasty. Bone & Joint Journal, 2024.
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of presurgical waiting for hip and knee replacement (~89,996 patients). Scientific Reports.
- American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS). Patient guidance on travelling after joint replacement — clot precautions.
- Mahmood F, et al. Perioperative air travel and venous thromboembolism after lower-limb arthroplasty. Eur J Orthop Surg Traumatol, 2022 (one study reported a higher VTE rate — balancing note).
Currently accepting enquiries
Ready to skip the wait?
We're actively welcoming out-of-province patients for private hip and knee replacement. Send your enquiry — we'll take it from there.