Mexico, the United States and Canada, side by side
Two different problems, two different countries. In the United States the obstacle is the price; in Canada it is the queue. Here is what each costs, in money and in months.
The two problems are not the same
A patient in Ohio and a patient in Ontario arrive at medical tourism from opposite directions. The American one can have surgery next month and cannot afford it. The Canadian one is covered and cannot get a date.
Both end up comparing the same three columns, so it is worth being explicit about what each one measures. Cost is the typical self-pay figure in the United States. Wait is the typical delay for publicly funded elective surgery in Canada. OSM is our published all-inclusive package, available within weeks.
Knee surgery
Published prices for knee procedures, against typical US costs and Canadian waiting times.
| Procedure | United States | OSM all-inclusive | You save | Canada wait |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Knee Replacement | $40,000 | US$ 11,500 | −71% | over 1 year |
| ACL Reconstruction | $35,000 | US$ 11,300 | −68% | over 8 months |
| Knee Arthroscopy | $18,000 | US$ 9,500 | −47% | over 1 year |
| Meniscus Repair with Suture | $20,000 | US$ 11,300 | −44% | over 8 months |
United States figures are typical self-pay costs and vary by state and hospital. Canadian waiting times are for publicly funded elective surgery. Your OSM price is fixed in writing before you travel.
Spine surgery
Published prices for spine procedures, against typical US costs and Canadian waiting times.
| Procedure | United States | OSM all-inclusive | You save | Canada wait |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disc Replacement (1 disc) | $50,000 | US$ 15,200 | −70% | over 18 months |
| Laminectomy (1 level) | $45,000 | US$ 14,500 | −68% | over 10 months |
| Microdiscectomy (1 level) | $25,000 | US$ 14,600 | −42% | over 1 year |
| Kyphoplasty (1 level) | $19,000 | US$ 13,300 | −30% | over 14 months |
United States figures are typical self-pay costs and vary by state and hospital. Canadian waiting times are for publicly funded elective surgery. Your OSM price is fixed in writing before you travel.
Foot & Ankle surgery
Published prices for foot & ankle procedures, against typical US costs and Canadian waiting times.
| Procedure | United States | OSM all-inclusive | You save | Canada wait |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hallux Valgus (Bunion) Correction | $13,000 | US$ 8,500 | −35% | over 1 year |
| Ankle Arthroscopy | $12,000 | US$ 9,500 | −21% | over 8 months |
| Ankle Ligament Repair (Broström augmentation) | $18,000 | US$ 11,500 | −36% | over 1 year |
United States figures are typical self-pay costs and vary by state and hospital. Canadian waiting times are for publicly funded elective surgery. Your OSM price is fixed in writing before you travel.
Why hip and shoulder are not in these tables
Because we do not currently have United States cost figures for them that we are willing to publish. Our own prices for both are on the price list, and the hip and shoulder pages describe the procedures in full.
A comparison table is only as good as the figure in the first column. Publishing a number we cannot stand behind would make the other tables less trustworthy too.
What the cost comparison leaves out
Your flights, which you book yourself. That is genuinely it — everything else in the trip is inside the OSM figure, and the list below is what that covers.
What the US column leaves out is longer: facility fees billed separately, the anesthesiologist who may be out of network, imaging, follow-up visits, and physical therapy. The advertised figure and the final total are frequently not the same document.
What the waiting time costs
A year of waiting is not a neutral year. Cartilage continues to wear, muscle around the joint wastes from disuse, and the other knee, hip or shoulder takes up the load and starts to complain. Patients who wait longest often need more extensive surgery than they would have, and take longer to rehabilitate afterwards.
That is the part of the Canadian column that does not appear as a number.
What the Mexico figure covers
Everything from the moment you land to the moment you fly home. No hidden cost.
- The surgical procedure
- Board-certified orthopedic surgeon fees
- Certified anesthesiologist and full medical team fees
- Hospital stay in an accredited private hospital
- All supplies, disposables and medication required during surgery
- 7 nights in a 4-star partner hotel
- All pre-operative and post-operative consultations
- All local transportation, including airport transfers
- A bilingual patient assistant throughout your stay
- A physician visiting your hotel room 6 days a week for follow-up and dressing changes
See what your own procedure would cost
These are averages. Your figure depends on which procedure your imaging shows you need — send it and a surgeon will tell you which line of the table applies to you.