Inpatient and Outpatient Surgery

North York General Hospital in Toronto offers a comprehensive range of surgical services for all ages, including: cancer surgery, orthopaedic, paediatric, cataract, glaucoma and ocular oncology surgery, as well as expertise in otolaryngology, head and neck (ear, nose and throat), urology, plastic surgery, oral, maxillofacial, general, vascular and thoracic surgery. The Surgery Program is dedicated to providing excellent, safe and evidenced-based surgical care close to home. 

Notable facts

  • One of the largest cancer care programs in the GTA
  • The largest centre for orthopaedic joint assessment and surgery volumes in the Central LHIN
  • A regional centre for cataract surgery

Our interdisciplinary teams

In all surgical specialties, our interdisciplinary teams represent physicians and health care professionals from other areas like medical imaging, laboratory medicine and child and teen. These professionals include nurses, social workers, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, nurse practitioners, respiratory therapists, anaesthesia assistants, dietitians, and audiologists.The University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine recognizes North York General as an excellent teaching resource for gynecology, otolaryngology, head and neck, general surgery and orthopaedics.

When you come to North York General Hospital for surgery, you can count on a highly trained team of health care professionals dedicated to providing you with safe, effective and patient-centered care from preadmission to discharge. 

The over 60 physicians in our Surgery Program have the following expertise:

  • General Surgery
  • Vascular Surgery
  • Thoracic Surgery
  • Orthopaedic Surgery
  • Ophthalmology
  • Otolaryngology, Head and Neck
  • Urology
  • Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
  • Oral and Maxillo-Facial Surgery
  • Obstetrics/Gynecology
  • Paediatric General Surgery
  • Paediatric Dentistry

We perform over 31,000 day surgeries per year. About 80% of our surgeries are on an outpatient basis — this allows you to have surgery, spend a short amount of time recovering at the hospital, then return home that same day. 

For inpatient surgery 

Following surgery at our General site, inpatients are transferred from the Post Anaesthetic Care Unit (PACU) to one of three units:

  • 36-bed Orthopedic unit (4 West)
  • 44-bed Surgical unit (5 North and South)

For outpatient surgery

Our Ambulatory Procedures Unit features separate paediatric and adult treatment and waiting areas. 

After surgery most patients go to the Post Anaesthetic Care Unit. Once they have recovered from their anesthetic, outpatients go to the Day Surgery area where they can be with a family member until they are ready for discharge home.

Advanced technology 

Most of our surgeries at the General site (4001 Leslie Street) take place in 12 state-of-the-art operating rooms outfitted with the latest in minimally invasive equipment, as well as one cystoscopy suite. We do an increasing amount of our surgery using advanced laparoscopic techniques (minimally invasive surgery).

The Finch site (Branson) (555 Finch Ave. W.) has two cataract surgery operating rooms and one cystoscopy suite. Over 8,000 cataract surgeries and over 4,500 local cystoscopies are performed at the Branson Ambulatory Care Centre each year.

The Department of Anesthesia’s practice is enhanced by modern anaesthesia machines. We use regional blocks, advanced methods of pain control, including patient-controlled analgesia.

North York General's radiologists use the latest imaging technology to assess, diagnose and treat patients. Learn about our diagnostic imaging services.