Delays, denials, and BMI cut-offs have long shaped access to joint replacement surgeryfor people living with obesity. 

Orthopaedic surgeon and steering committee member Dr. Harman Chaudhry joins us to unpack the new Canadian Orthopaedic Association recommendations for knee and hip replacements for people living with obesity. We cover what’s changed, why communication matters, and how clinicians and patients can navigate toward equitable, evidence-based surgical decisions.

In this episode

• Reframing access to surgery: Why national recommendations were needed, how BMI cut-offs created inequities, and what’s changing with a more individualized, case-by-case approach

• Bias, communication, and patient trust: How stigma shows up in surgical care—and why language, empathy, and open dialogue can change both outcomes and experiences

• Balancing risk & benefit: What the evidence really says about outcomes for people living with obesity after hip and knee replacement, and how to guide risk-benefit conversations with patients

• • Practical advocacy in action: Steps clinicians and patients can take to improve access—optimizing health, asking for second opinions, and ensuring no one leaves an appointment without a plan
  • Looking ahead: How system design, central intake models, and collaborative advocacy can build a more equitable path to joint replacement across Canada

  
  

  Additional resources

  • Canadian Orthopedic Association: Recommendations on Elective Total Hip and Knee Replacement Surgery in People Living with Obesity https://utm.guru/ujhto 

  • Announcement from Obesity Canada on the COA’s recommendations: https://utm.guru/ujhtp 

• • Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guideline: https://utm.guru/ujhtq 
  • Explore our free, online education courses for healthcare professionals: https://utm.guru/ujhtr

  
  

  Don’t miss the Canadian Obesity Summit 2026

  
  

  Obesity Canada’s flagship scientific congress returns March 25–29, 2026 in Montréal, Québec. Join researchers, healthcare professionals, and advocate voices to connect the latest science with real-world care.

  Submit your abstract by October 31, and secure your spot at the conference. Early bird registration is open now through November 30, 2025.

  Learn more and register: https://utm.guru/ujhts

  
  

  📩 Questions or topic requests?

  Email us: scaleuppod@obesitycanada.ca

  
  

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  Thanks for listening—and stay with us as we continue to scale up your practice.