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Operation Walk 2018 Mission

The Operation Walk Winnipeg team has announced their 2018 mission for a week in November when a team of 60 health professionals including surgeons, anesthetists, nurses, physiotherapists, medical device reprocessing specialists and support workers will travel to Managua, Nicaragua to perform over 70 knee and hip replacements for the local community.

This will be the seventh mission for the Operation Walk Winnipeg team and the sixth to Nicaragua.

Nicaragua is one of the poorest nations in the western hemisphere. Most Nicaraguans do not have the luxury of an automobile and at a minimum must walk long distances to work or to the nearest bus route.

Much of the country is mountainous and buildings are not constructed with consideration to people with limited mobility.  The patients that come to Operation Walk have been suffering from debilitating arthritis for years and many have lived with pain for decades.


The determination and drive shown by these people is amazing. To see a person who speaks little or no English speaking to their healthcare team while pointing to their new knee replacement with tears rolling down her cheeks saying ?Gracias, Gracias, Gracias? is a powerful and moving moment for everyone.


There is no paid staff for Operation Walk Winnipeg and the entire medical team donates their time and energies. The primary fundraising for the mission is a Gala Dinner held each year.  This event has grown in support and ensures the team is able to continue providing life-changing surgeries in Nicaragua.  The event this year will be held on May 31, 2018.

The mission each year has a significant impact on patients and the medical team.   Click here to see a short video that shows the tremendous effect the experience has on the local community.

Your gift will enable Operation Walk?s trained team of health care professionals to return patients with disabling joint disease to a more normal lifestyle. Candidates screened for possible Operation Walk surgery are often confined to a wheel chair, crutches or dependent on someone else just to walk a short distance. The gift of a new hip or knee joint from the Operation Walk team can make a significant difference.