Manitoba patients are spending less time waiting in pain, thanks to a record-breaking year for hip and knee surgeries across the province. Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Uzoma Asagwara announced today that 7,056 joint replacement procedures were completed in 2025, the highest annual total ever recorded.
“This is what rebuilding health care looks like,” Asagwara says. “We are delivering more hip and knee surgeries than ever before because we listened to the front lines, invested in made-in-Manitoba solutions, and stayed focused on getting results. Instead of sending patients out of province, we’re expanding capacity here at home, targeting people who have been waiting the longest, and modernizing how care is delivered. A record number of surgeries means fewer Manitobans waiting in pain and more people getting back to their lives.”
A key part of this success has been the province’s Surgical Wait Information Management system, which ensures patients are scheduled based on clinical need and the length of their wait. Nearly 70 per cent of joint replacements are now performed as outpatient procedures, allowing patients to recover at home and freeing up hospital beds for others.
At Selkirk Regional Health Centre, a new surgical program launched in 2024 is already showing results. With additional staff and expanded operating room capacity, 591 joint replacement surgeries had been completed as of December 2025, putting the program on track to deliver 800 by the end of the fiscal year.
Darlene Yurkiw, a recent joint replacement patient at Selkirk, says the procedure has made a life-changing difference.
“I received excellent care from the moment I walked into Selkirk Regional Health Centre to when I had surgery and throughout my ongoing recovery,” she said. “If I didn’t have this surgery, I imagine my mobility and my quality of life would be lower. I used to be unable to put on shoes or socks at all, and now I can, with a little pain. This is definitely progress in the right direction. I can even do some moderate hiking now, which is huge for me as a nature lover, so I am grateful.”
The hip and knee surgery expansion is part of broader efforts by the Manitoba government to rebuild health care. Over the past year, 3,500 net-new health-care workers, including nurses, physicians, and allied health professionals, have been added across the province. In addition, 323 fully staffed hospital beds have opened to better meet patient demand.
Other initiatives have helped reduce pressure on emergency departments and hospitals, such as strengthening primary care through Health Links and supporting recovery at home with the Virtual Medicine Ward, allowing hospitals to focus resources on surgeries.
Newly released national data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information reflects these improvements, showing record surgical volumes and a growing shift toward outpatient hip and knee procedures, helping to improve patient flow and efficiency in Manitoba’s hospitals.
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