- About
- Why Research Matters
- Why Research Matters
- The world of transplantation is changing at a breathtaking pace. Clinical and surgical procedures that were considered groundbreaking or experimental only a decade ago are now commonplace. Research discoveries led to most of these impressive benchmarks of progress in patient care.
- Research Programs
- Research Programs
- The TRF is dedicated to supporting innovative transplantation research to benefit the lives of organ recipients in British Columbia. Through our Venture Grant program, we provide funding each year to BC based scientists conducting transplant research in new areas of exploration that will lead to better quality of life and improved outcomes for transplant patients.
- Research in Action
- Research In Action
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- COVID-19 Treatments and Outcomes in Kidney Transplant Recipients
- Offering Support and Connection to Patients Seeking Kidney Transplantation
- COVID-19 and Transplantation: Finding Answers Through Research with Dr. James Lan
- Improving Viral Management for Pediatric Transplant Recipients with Dr. Karina Top
- Meet Our Researchers
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- Hear from researchers and clinicians as they share project updates and discuss how research is seeking to improve the lives of recipients and individuals living with end-stage organ disease. At TRFBC we endeavor to bridge the great divide that can often exist between science and the transplant community, recognizing that research can be intimidating and somewhat mystifying. Learn how research is addressing issues that matter to recipients and contributing to the advancement of transplant science.
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History of Transplant
Canadian Event
British Columbia Event
1905-1951
In North America and Europe, various experiments demonstrate that organ transplantation is possible.
1952
France: The first kidney transplant, from mother to son. However, the sixteen-year-old recipient dies of organ rejection.
1956
Toronto: Heart valves are transplanted for the first time worldwide.
1958
Montreal: Canada’s first successful kidney transplant is done between identical twins.
Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) is discovered, which leads to the creation of tissue-matching for donors and recipients.
1962
Boston: Kidney transplant from a deceased donor.
1963
Mississippi: First successful lung transplant.
Montreal: Canada’s first successful kidney transplant between people who are not identical twins.
1967
Denver: First successful liver transplant by Dr. Thomas Starzl.
Cape Town, South Africa: First successful heart transplant is performed by Dr. Christiaan Barnard.
1968
Montreal: Canada’s first heart transplant.
Vancouver: BC’s first organ transplant (kidney) performed at Vancouver General Hospital.
1970
Montreal: Canada’s first liver transplant.
1971
Cyclosporine – a fungal extract that combats organ rejection – is discovered by a Swiss pharmaceutical company. This makes transplants without ideal donors feasible.
1981
Stanford, California: First successful heart/lung transplant.
1983
Toronto: Dr. Joel Cooper at Toronto General Hospital performs the first successful single lung transplant in the world.
London, Ontario: Canada’s first heart-lung transplant is performed at University Hospital.
1984
New York: First successful pediatric heart transplant.
1986
Toronto: World’s first successful double-lung transplant
1987
Toronto: World’s first pediatric lung transplant.
1988
London, Ontario: The first worldwide successful liver-bowel transplant.
1989
Chicago: First successful living-related liver transplant.
1992
Pittsburgh: First baboon to human liver transplant.
1993
London, Ontario: The first living related liver transplant in Canada with a mother donating part of her liver to her son.
1995
Montreal: First time pig liver tissue is used to keep a patient alive temporarily until human liver tissue is available for transplant.
1997
BC: The first computerized organ donor registry for consent in North America.
1998
France: First successful hand transplant led by Australian Dr. Earl Owen and Frenchman Dr. Jean-Michel Dubernard in a 13-hour long operation.
1999
Boston: Dr. Anthony Atala successfully transplants the first lab-grown organ, a bladder.
Winnipeg: First living-related double lung transplant, where two people each donate part of a lung.
2000
London, Ontario: Canada’s first adult-to-adult living-related liver transplant.
The “Halifax Protocol”, a combination of two anti-rejection drugs that dramatically reduces organ rejection, earns international attention.
2005
India: First successful ovarian transplant.
France: First successful partial face transplant.
2006
Toronto: First jaw transplant to combine bone marrow from a recipient with a donor jaw.
2008
Germany: First successful complete double arm transplant.
2008
Vancouver: First organ donation after cardiac death in Western Canada at St. Paul’s Hospital.
Missouri: First baby born from a transplanted ovary (between twin sisters).
Spain: Dr. Paolo Macchiarini performs the first transplant of a human windpipe using a patient’s own stem cells.
Cleveland: First successful transplantation of near total area (80%) of face, (including palate, nose, cheeks, and eyelid).
2010
BC Transplant celebrates milestone of 5000 transplants since 1968.
Spain: First full facial transplant.
2011
Spain: First double leg transplant.
2013
Vancouver: BC Children’s Hospital launches pediatric heart transplant program.
2014
Australia: First ‘dead heart’ transplant
Sweden: First successful uterine transplant resulting in live birth.
Sources
Donate Life New York, http://www.donatelifeny.org/all-about-transplantation/organ-transplant-history/
The Kidney Foundation of Canada: http://www.kidney.ca/page.aspx?pid=645
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organ_transplantation#Timeline_of_successful_transplants
Watson, C.J.E. and J.H. Dark (2012). “Organ Transplantation: historical perspectives and current practice” in British Journal of Anaesthesia, pp: i29-i42.
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