Patient resources
Decide with total confidence.
Clear, evidence-based guides on wait times, recovery, surgical techniques, costs and your options in Alberta — written and reviewed by a surgeon.
Guides & tools
Pages worth bookmarking.
The most-used pages on the site — start here if you want structured information rather than a single article.
Anterior Hip
The muscle-sparing front approach to total hip replacement.
OpenSubvastus Knee
The quad-sparing approach to total knee replacement.
OpenRobotic Knee & Navigated Hip
Robotic-assisted knee replacement and digitally navigated hip replacement — both planned around your own anatomy.
OpenPaying for Surgery
How private surgery is paid for — what's included, and how people fund it.
OpenThe Wait — self-check
How a year of waiting can quietly change strength and quality of life.
OpenRisks & Safety
An honest look at the risks of joint replacement, and how we keep yours low.
OpenFAQ
Straight answers to the questions patients most often ask.
OpenCategory 1
Getting started: is it time?
Signs, symptoms, and the questions to ask yourself before considering surgery.
Signs you might need a hip replacement
The everyday clues that hip arthritis has crossed from manageable into something worth investigating.
Read articleSigns you might need a knee replacement
When knee pain stops being an occasional bother and starts shaping your week.
Read articleIs there a 'right age' for joint replacement?
Why age is only one factor — and how surgeons actually decide if the timing is right.
Read articleWhy joint pain feels worse in a Calgary winter
What's actually going on when cold weather makes arthritic joints flare.
Read articleWhat to expect at your first consultation
From the X-rays to the conversation — how a good consultation actually unfolds.
Read articleCategory 2
Weighing your options
Non-surgical care, partial vs total, and untangling common myths.
Non-surgical treatments worth trying first
What conservative care can — and can't — do for hip and knee arthritis.
Read articlePartial vs total knee replacement
When part of the knee is enough, and when replacing the whole joint is the better call.
Read articleJoint replacement myths, sorted out
The persistent stories about joint replacement — and what the evidence actually says.
Read articleManaging pain beyond opioids
How modern multimodal pain plans keep patients comfortable with far less reliance on narcotics.
Read articleCategory 3
Waiting & your options in Alberta
What the wait actually costs, and the public and private paths available to Albertans.
The real cost of waiting for joint surgery
What gets lost — physically, mentally, financially — while a joint waits to be replaced.
Read articleAlberta hip and knee wait times, explained
The benchmark, the reality, and what those numbers mean for you.
Read articlePrivate hip & knee surgery in Alberta
How Alberta's dual-practice model is changing what's available, and what it means in practice.
Read articlePublic vs private joint replacement in Alberta
An honest side-by-side: cost, timing, continuity, and what's the same in both.
Read articleTravelling out of province for surgery
The trade-offs of going elsewhere — and the case for getting care close to home.
Read articleCategory 4
Understanding your surgery & recovery
What happens, what to do before, and what the road back looks like.
The anterior hip replacement, end to end
What the muscle-sparing approach actually involves, from incision to home.
Read articlePreparing for surgery: a practical checklist
The weeks before — what to do, what to stop, and how to set yourself up to recover well.
Read articleA realistic recovery timeline
Day 1 to a year out — the milestones most patients hit, and when.
Read articleExercises before and after knee replacement
The pre-op work that pays off, and the early movement that keeps a new knee on track.
Read articleCategory 5
Recovery & life after surgery
Driving, sport, and how long a modern replacement lasts.
When can I drive after hip or knee surgery?
The honest answer depends on which joint, which side, and how you actually feel.
Read articleReturning to sport after a replacement
Hiking, golf, cycling, doubles tennis — what's reasonable, and what isn't.
Read articleHow long does a modern hip or knee last?
What registry data tells us about implant survival in 2026 — and what affects yours.
Read articleCategory 6
Choosing & deciding
How to choose a surgeon and what to ask before private surgery.
How to choose a hip & knee surgeon
What actually matters when you're picking the person who'll do your operation.
Read articleQuestions to ask before private surgery
A short, useful list to take into any consultation about privately funded surgery.
Read article