Members of the St. Joe's renal transplant team in the 1970s

More than 50 years ago, two St. Joe’s physicians performed a surgery that only a handful of other hospitals in Canada had ever attempted. In 1974, Drs. Peter Knight and Shian Tsai completed St. Joe’s first-ever kidney transplant from a living donor. Since then, living donor transplants have become a mainstay at St. Joe’s, helping to transform the lives of hundreds of patients and their loved ones.  

Before 1974, only deceased donor transplants were being done, with the first of these transplants at St. Joe’s being performed 55 years ago, in 1970. While transplants with deceased donor kidneys and living donor kidneys are both life-saving procedures, kidneys from living donors usually last longer and provide the best patient outcomes. 

These inaugural transplants set the stage for the future innovations and achievements our kidney and urinary program would accomplish. From completing around 20 transplants a year in the 1970s, we now perform an average of 135 transplants a year and have become one of the top kidney transplant programs in Ontario. 

This National Kidney Month, we take a look back at how our transplant program has built on those first transplant surgeries over the last 50 years to become the leader in kidney care and transplantation that we are today. 

Making transplants accessible to more people 

Compared to the early years of transplant, we now transplant a broader range of patients with kidney disease providing better quantity and quality of life for a larger group of people. Immunosuppressive therapy used 50 years ago caused more side effects and the transplant surgery itself had more risks and possible complications, which meant older patients or those with additional health conditions were usually not able to receive a transplant. 

“When I first started in transplant close to 15 years ago, it was unusual to transplant patients over the age of 70 because of concern of complications. Now with progress in medications, immune testing and surgical techniques, we routinely transplant older patients.” says Dr. Christine Ribic, medical director of St. Joe’s renal transplant program.  

“We’re able to transplant patients with more comorbidities and those who are more elderly. We’ve learned a lot over the years and can make this life-saving surgery accessible to more people.” 

Dr. Christine Ribic, medical director, renal transplant program at St. Joe’s

Putting the patient voice at the centre 

In the 1970s the transplant team was made up of a small group of surgeons, transplant nephrologists and nurses. The St. Joe’s kidney and urinary program has now grown into an integrated, multidisciplinary team that also includes pharmacists, lab technicians, psychologists, infectious disease physicians, social workers and occupational therapists who work together to ensure that all our transplant patients’ diverse needs are met. 

“We’ve really expanded the types of services we can provide so that we can treat the patient holistically and incorporate the whole patient journey into our process, from their first assessments, to adjusting to life post-surgery and beyond,” explains Dr. Ribic. “We want the patient voice to be at the centre of what we do.” 

Members of St. Joe’s renal transplant team

The transplant team regularly consults with the Renal Patient and Family Advisory Council to ensure that the perspective of patients and their loved ones are always considered. St. Joe’s also participates in the Transplant Ambassador Program (TAP) which allows former patients with lived experience to connect with individuals who are considering a kidney transplant and support the potential recipient or donor through the process. 

Three of St. Joe’s Transplant Ambassadors (L-R: Barb Longo, Brian Cooke and Courtney Gibson) pictured with Dr. Seychelle Yohanna, St. Joe’s transplant nephrologist.