Nova Scotia Health Authority

The types of orthopedic surgeries available varies from hospital to hospital. 

Most orthopedic surgeries are provided at one of the following orthopedic centres:

• Valley Regional Hospital (Kentville)
• Aberdeen Hospital (New Glasgow)
• Cape Breton Regional Hospital (Sydney)
• Dartmouth General Hospital (Dartmouth)
• Halifax Infirmary (Halifax)

Some procedures are also offered at other regional or community hospitals.

If your primary care provider (family doctor, nurse practitioner etc.) believes you may benefit from orthopedic surgery they will make a referral to an Orthopedic surgeon. After receiving their referral the surgeon’s office will schedule an appointment with you. 

Within the Central Zone – Halifax area, Eastern Shore and West Hants, patients will often be scheduled for a Halifax area, Eastern Shore, West Hants referrals are managed through the Orthopedic Assessment Clinic and you will be scheduled for an appointment with the clinic. In all other areas referrals are made directly to surgeons offices and you will be contacted for an appointment. 

You can learn more about wait times for surgical consults and surgeries here.

The following information is provided to guide primary care providers making referrals for care:

Hip and knee joint replacement referrals

• Provincial form for all hip and knee joint replacement referrals (Effective Oct. 15, 2018)
  • Orthopedic Assessment Clinic Primary Hip and Knee Arthroplasty Referral Form (fillable pdf)

Referral information for all other orthopedic surgeries

Halifax area, Eastern Shore, West Hants​

• Orthopedic Referral Guide for Halifax area, Eastern Shore, West Hants (.pdf)
• Orthopedic Referral Form for Halifax area, Eastern Shore, West Hants Editable Online Version  (fillable .pdf)
• Orthopedic Referral Form - Print Version (.pdf)

Outside of Halifax, Eastern Shore and West Hants, referrals for orthopedic consultations (other than hip and knee arthroplasty) are provided directly to individual surgeon’s offices.

Colchester County and Municipality of East Hants, Cumberland County, and Pictou County

• Orthopedic Referral Guide for Colchester County and Municipality of East Hants, Cumberland County, and Pictou County (.pdf)

Cape Breton Island, Antigonish and Guysborough Counties

• Orthopedic Referral Guide for Cape Breton Island, Antigonish and Guysborough Counties (.pdf)

Annapolis and Kings Counties, Digby, Shelburne and Yarmouth Counties, Lunenburg, and Queens Counties

• Orthopedic Referral Guide for Annapolis and Kings Counties, Digby, Shelburne and Yarmouth Counties, Lunenburg, and Queens Counties (.pdf)

The following patient pamphlets may be helpful to you:

Patient Pamphlets

• Fractured Hip (.pdf)
• Make Your First Fracture Your Last (.pdf)
• Your Halo Brace (.pdf)

After Orthopedic Surgery

• After Orthopaedic Surgery (.pdf)
• Your New Hip (.pdf)
• Your New Knee (.pdf)

Maintain Bone Health

• Calcium and Vitamin D (.pdf)
• Nutrition - Osteoporosis Canada (.pdf)