The surgical spine centre at Concordia Hospital. (WRHA / HANDOUT)
The Manitoba government is spending $2.7 million on advanced surgical technology at Concordia Hospital to help patients access spine surgery sooner and recover faster.
Surgeons performed the first navigated instrumentation spinal surgery at Concordia Hospital in June 2025 using advanced 3D imaging and precision guidance. The technology allows for precise, minimally invasive procedures, enabling most patients to return home the same day or the following day.
“Manitobans deserve timely access to the care they need, close to home,” said Premier Wab Kinew. “By expanding advanced spine surgery at Concordia Hospital, we’re helping patients get back on their feet faster while training the next generation of world-class surgeons with cutting-edge technology.”
The province says the expansion makes Concordia a spine centre of excellence and a training site for surgeons. According to the province, surgeons have travelled to Winnipeg for instruction using the equipment, including trainees from Brazil, Qatar and Turkey.
Previously, the procedure was performed only at Health Sciences Centre Winnipeg. By adding Concordia as a second site, the province says it will increase overall surgical capacity and help reduce wait times by allowing HSC operating rooms to focus on more complex spinal cases.
Shared Health’s provincial surgery specialty lead, Dr. Ed Buchel, said 42 navigated instrumented spine surgeries have been completed at Concordia so far, with a target of about 75 per year.
The expansion is being coordinated through the Manitoba Spine Clinic, a recently opened clinic at HSC that provides centralized intake and a multidisciplinary team to manage referrals and waitlists for spinal care.
Watch Friday’s news conference:
