International Hip and Knee Specialist

If you’re a Canadian patient (Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton) struggling with chronic knee or hip pain, don’t wait months for care. Schedule a consultation today with Dr. Ramkumar to explore faster access to expert orthopedic evaluation and advanced treatment options in the U.S. Telemedicine appointments can be readily facilitated as well within a week. Contact Dr. Ramkumar’s team today!

Orthopedic Care Options for Canadians Seeking Faster Knee and Hip Treatment:

For many patients in Canada (Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton), acute or chronic joint pain isn’t just uncomfortable, it can limit mobility, independence, and quality of life. While Canada’s healthcare system provides comprehensive coverage, wait times for orthopedic evaluation, imaging, and surgery can be lengthy. As a result, some patients chose to explore care options in the United States to access faster diagnosis and treatment for knee and hip conditions.

This guide explains why Canadians seek cross-border orthopedic care, which conditions are most commonly inquired about, and what treatment options are available.

Why Some Canadians Look Abroad for Orthopedic Care:

One of the biggest factors influencing medical travel is timing. Studies show that only about 59% of patients receive knee replacement and 66% receive hip replacement within recommended wait-time benchmarks in Canada. For individuals living with severe joint pain, delays of 6–12 months (or sometimes longer) can significantly affect daily life. Key reasons patients seek care outside their province include:

  • Long surgical wait lists
  • Delays in specialist consultations
  • Limited imaging availability
  • Desire for minimally invasive techniques
  • Faster return to work or activity

For acute injuries like meniscus tears, quadriceps tendon rupture, patellar tendon rupture, ACL tears, labral tears, or other injuries, expedient care is necessary and can be readily facilitiated from a direct flight from Canada (Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton) to Los Angeles, which has three airports (LAX, Long Beach, John Wayne/Orange County) within 30 minutes of Dr. Ramkumar’s practice.

This trend is sometimes called system arbitrage, where patients who have the financial ability choose private care elsewhere to avoid prolonged wait-times for procedures considered “elective,” even when symptoms are severe.

Most Searched Knee Conditions and Procedures that Dr. Ramkumar Performs:

Canadian patients researching orthopedic care frequently search for specific knee diagnoses and advanced treatments. The most common knee conditions I see in my office in Long Beach, CA include:

Many of Dr. Ramkumar’s patients from Canada are interested in surgical techniques designed to:

  • Be minimally invasive
  • Reduce tissue disruption
  • Shorten hospital stays
  • Speed rehabilitation
  • Improve cosmetic outcomes

Most Searched Hip Conditions and Procedures that Dr. Ramkumar can help with:

What about Diagnostic Imaging?:

State of the Art imaging is a major reason patients travel to California. Before surgery can even be scheduled, imaging is required to confirm diagnosis and plan treatment. Many Canadians seek MRIs or CT scans in the US because diagnostic wait times can be lengthy in some provinces. Faster imaging access can:

  • Confirm if surgery is necessary
  • Identify the exact injury, issue or degeneration
  • Help patients make quicker, more informed treatment decisions

Access to Surgery: Comparing Timelines between Canada and the US:

Another factor influencing cross-border care is surgical scheduling speed. The timelines for many of my patients depends more on when they get to me. We are able to offer surgery dates within a week or two of diagnosis. This, compared with potential year-long waits in Canadian public systems. In most cases, Canadians are able to fly back home two to three weeks later after surgery. Our facility also offers outpatient joint replacement, ACL reconstruction, meniscus repairs, quadriceps/patellar tendon repairs, meaning patients can return home earlier, without an extended hospital stay. This is important to traveling patients due to shorter recovery times, earlier mobility and a safer, non-invasive surgery.

Dr. Ramkumar also has preferred physical therapists in major Canadian cities, particularly Toronto.

Choosing the best hip and knee orthopedic specialist:

Dr. Prem Ramkumar is dual fellowship-trained, and board-certified. He practices in Long Beach, Marina del Rey, and Lakewood, California. He has experience and expertise in hip and knee conditions, from Sports Medicine to arthroscopy to joint replacement and adult reconstruction. He offers expert evaluations to ensure that his patients understand all the options, costs and recovery time-lines before committing to treatment.

When to contact Dr. Prem Ramkumar’s office:

There are symptoms that should not be ignored. If you can any of the following symptoms, you should contact our office for a consultation:

  • Persistent joint pain lasting months
  • Limited mobility that affects your daily life
  • Joint instability
  • Locking or crunching in knee or hip
  • Failed conservative treatment
  • Imaging that suggests joint damage