I went on the list for knee replacement in July 2016. They said 8 months to a year. I was just informed that they just don’t have the operating room enough, and I’m now November or December. I’ll bet it doesn’t even happen then.
It’s NOT free, and, unless it’s life threatening, be prepared to wait. Now, OTOH, if you want to spend many of your days running around to specialist after specialist because it’s a way of life, then you’ll always get an appointment. The doctors are happy to bill OHIP as often as possible. I see seniors do this all the time.
So you're saying that if you're lucky you will have waited only 18 months for your surgery??? Yikes!!
I'm a typical middle class American...not rich,*or* poor *or* powerful.I just had my second hip replacement a month ago (the first one having been done about 9 years ago).With both hips I was in the recovery room of a world famous Boston hospital less than three weeks after having called the surgeon's office to schedule an initial evaluation.
A few years ago I,out of curiosity,did some research on Canada's health care system by spending time on British Columbia's official health care website.Among the things I learned is that in BC (don't know if it's typical nationwide) there's at least one type of *heart surgery* (no details as to exactly what kind of surgery) for which one can wait up to *one year*.Having worked for a world famous Boston hospital for almost 30 years (the same one where I had my hips done) I can guarantee you that it's very unusual for patients to wait *days* for *any* kind of heart surgery.
Lastly,a few years ago I read that the Premiere of one of your provinces (Newfoundland,IIRC) needed heart surgery.As a powerful,important man he surely could have had it done in Montreal,Toronto,Vancouver...*anywhere* in Canada.But,instead,he decided to have it done in the US.IIRC that was big news in Canada when it happened.
Canada's an outstanding country populated (almost entirely) by outstanding people.But in my humble opinion you deserve a better health care system than the one you have.
Hopefully you'll get your new knee very soon.Once you get it I can guarantee that you'll thank your lucky stars for it,as I do for each of my new hips.Knee pain will quickly become just a distant memory.
Jeez hang in Judy.
Don’t know where you are at in Canada, but if you are near Montana and want the name of some good ortho people, drop a line.
A total knee replacement is about $16,000 at the Surgery Center of Oklahoma. They post their prices online: https://surgerycenterok.com/pricing/total-knee-arthroplasty-knee-replacement/
Why do you need a knee replacement? Maybe you don’t? Have you gotten a second opinion?