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Programs & Services

Renal Transplant Program

The Renal Transplant Program began in 1967. It is one of two adult kidney transplant programs serving the Greater Toronto Area and is part of the Multi-Organ Transplant Program at the University of Toronto. We are the transplant referral hospital for over 30 dialysis centers in the Greater Toronto Area, in addition to performing some transplants from other regions of Canada.

To date over 2000 transplants have happened at St. Michael's Hospital, with approximately 900 post-transplant patients being actively followed in our ambulatory clinic. There are approximately 450 patients on our deceased donor list and about 50 patients in various stages of evaluation for living kidney donation.

Because of the long waiting times for deceased donation, we have committed ourselves to promoting living donation with the largest minimally invasive (laparoscopic) living donor program in Canada. This program allows for shorter hospital stay, less pain and a quicker return to employment for living donors.

Read our newsletter, Transplant Digest
Issue 1 - Winter 2006
Issue 2 - Spring/Summer 2007
Issue 3 - Fall 2007/Winter 2008

Academic Mission

We aim to:

  • Provide excellent pre- and post-kidney transplant care to our patients.
  • Maintain academic excellence in clinical transplant research.
  • Provide transplant training for medical students, residents and nephrology fellows;
  • Promote organ donation.
  • Work with our partners in the community to foster greater understanding of transplantation, its benefits and its outcomes.
  • Work within the greater national and international transplant community to improve the quality of life for transplant patients.