Welcome to Operation Walk Canada

Operation Walk Canada Inc is a not-for-profit, volunteer medical service organization. Our purpose is to provide total joint replacement surgery to patients who live in developing countries and who due to social, political and economic factors have little or no access to care for their debilitating bone and joint diseases, the most common of which is osteoarthritis.

Total joint replacement is one of the most successful, cost-effective surgical interventions performed, with a good to excellent prognosis in 95% of cases. Relief from pain and restored mobility are especially reliable and dramatic outcomes.In first world countries, total hip and knee joint arthroplasty (TJA) is the standard of care for arthritis. In Canada, with a population of 33M, approximately 60,000 of theses surgeries are performed annually.

But in countries such as Guatemala for example, which has a population of 13M, fewer than 200 are carried out each year. Because access to care is so limited, arthritis and other degenerative joint diseases we see on Operation Walk trips are very advanced. Consequently, associated pain, disabilities and even deformities are more pronounced than what we see at home. The vast majority of these patients are longer able to earn a living and provide or care for their families.

Operation Walk Canada combines a volunteer team of health care and allied health care professionals, donated surgical implants and financial contributions to deliver these life-improving surgeries. Mission trips typically last one week and are organized and managed so that as many patients as possible can undergo surgery and begin their rehabilitation and recovery. During this week, the medical care of patients is the joint responsibility of in-country physicians, physiotherapists and registered nurses and their Operation Walk counterparts. In this way knowledge is shared and ongoing patient care, once the team has returned home, is assured.

The work of Operation Walk Canada relies entirely on the generosity of private and corporate donors.

Guiding Principles