Ajax Pickering Hospital in Ajax, Ontario, has become the first in Canada to use a state-of-the-art orthopedic robot for joint replacements, giving Durham Region residents access to advanced surgical precision close to home.
On July 30, 2026, Lakeridge Health launched the Stryker 4.0 Orthopedic Robotics Platform at the hospital. Dr. Kaj Ravichandiran, an orthopedic surgeon, performed Canada’s first joint replacement with the new system, setting a national benchmark for orthopedic innovation.
The $2-million robot was fully funded by the Jeremiah F. Coughlan Foundation through the Ajax Pickering Hospital Foundation. This generous donation continues the philanthropic legacy of the late Jerry Coughlan, a local homebuilder who gave over $15 million to Durham Region charities, including the Jerry Coughlan Health & Wellness Centre in Pickering.
The Stryker 4.0, the latest generation of the Mako SmartRobotics platform, can assist with total and partial knee replacements, total hip replacements, and spine procedures, with shoulder procedures expected to become available later in 2026. For patients, this means surgeries tailored to their specific anatomy, potentially leading to better outcomes and faster recovery.
Lakeridge Health already has experience with robotic surgery, having launched a program with the da Vinci Surgical System in December 2022. As of June 2026, that program has completed more than 1,055 robotic-assisted procedures across specialties like urology and gynecology. The addition of the orthopedic robot expands those advanced services, keeping care local for the growing community.
