Surgery: understanding the queue
For surgery in Quebec there is no single big list: every surgeon keeps their own. Your doctor refers you, often to the specialist they know, and you inherit that surgeon’s list, short or long. Nobody shows you the whole picture. The numbers below, published by the ministry, give the portrait by region and specialty.
These numbers count people waiting. Your own wait depends on the surgeon and on clinical priority.
The trick: ask for the first available surgeon instead of a specific name. Tell your doctor you’re willing to travel too, because a referral to another region is allowed and the gap sometimes runs into months. And if you’re offered a date, think before turning it down, because a refusal can put your file on hold.
137,788 people waiting in Quebec · data from period 13, 2025-2026 · checked Aug 11, 01:08 a.m. · official source