Kidney Transplant Clinics

Providence Health Care’s Living Kidney Donor Program assesses and educates individuals wishing to be considered as a living kidney donor. There are three ways to be a living kidney donor:

• Donating a compatible kidney directly to a friend or relative
• If the donor kidney is not compatible with the recipient, using the Living Donor Paired Exchange (LDPE) Program to be matched with another donor/recipient pair in a similar situation
• Donating a kidney without personally knowing someone needing a transplant through the Living Anonymous Donor (LAD) program.

The Living Donor Team consists of nurses, nephrologists, surgeons and social workers who specialize in transplantation, as well as a wide variety of consultative services and administrative and program staff.

The team coordinates all medical and psychosocial assessments of the prospective living kidney donor as well as any additional diagnostic testing, consultations or specialists that are required. Once a living donor is identified and approved, the program also collaborates with the transplant recipient’s primary care team.

The Living Kidney Donor Program also works nationally to coordinate approval, entry and management of incompatible living donor pairs who wish to be considered for the Canadian Living Donor Paired Exchange (LDPE) Program.

An individual must be at least 19 years of age to be considered as a potential donor. There is no upper age limit. However, by the time people reach their late 60s there is often a normal reduction in kidney function, making them less suitable as donors.

Anonymous donors must be 25 years or older, and they cannot direct their donation to any particular recipient.

A prospective donor must personally contact the Living Donor Program by email or phone to express their interest in the program. It’s important to understand that the Living Donor Team works on behalf of the donor and will proceed according to the donor’s wishes and best interests. Donor information is kept strictly confidential and is not shared with others, including the potential recipient.

The Living Kidney Donor Program will send the prospective donor a package that includes information about kidney donation, a Medical-Social questionnaire and registration forms. The potential donor will complete and return these documents. The registration forms and questionnaire are reviewed by a nurse, who will then contact the donor to review their motivation, suitability to proceed, and the procedures and protocols for assessment.

Once a kidney donor is approved, the Living Kidney Donor Program will coordinate pre-surgery, peri-operative planning and long-term follow-up. The donor is given multiple opportunities to proceed or withdraw as they choose.

St. Paul's Hospital is one of two adult kidney transplant centres in BC. Patients who are potential kidney transplant candidates are referred by their kidney specialist for assessment and information about transplantation. The Kidney Transplant Program at St. Paul’s works closely with several key partners, including BC Transplant, the BC Renal Agency, Canadian Blood Services and the Provincial Health Services Authority.

Providence Health Care’s Kidney Transplant Program offers pre-transplant referral and assessment services, transplant surgery, post-transplant care as well as a variety of living donor programs. 

If your kidney specialist thinks you may be a suitable candidate for assessment, you will be referred to the Kidney Transplant Program at St. Paul’s Hospital (patients in BC may also be referred to the transplant program at Vancouver General Hospital).

Once your referral is received, the Kidney Transplant Program will send you an information package. You may also receive requisitions to have additional blood work or testing done.

After your tests have been reviewed, you will be booked to be seen by the Transplant Team. Potential transplant recipients are assessed individually by the Transplant Team to determine if the benefits of a kidney transplant outweigh the risks. Individuals must be healthy enough to survive the surgery and have a good chance of benefiting from a transplant.

A full assessment involves numerous steps and may take several months to complete. This information is used by the Transplant Team to make the decision about the suitability of transplantation in your case.

If the Team determines that you are eligible for kidney transplantation, you will follow one of two paths:

• You can plan for a living kidney donor transplant, OR
• You will be added to the Provincial Transplant Waiting List for deceased kidney donation

Patients who receive a new kidney require ongoing post transplant care and support. The Post-Transplant Clinic at St. Paul’s Hospital is an outpatient service providing follow-up and support to patients and their families for the entire life of their new kidney. Services are offered to post kidney transplant patients from across BC and Yukon.

The Post Transplant team consists of transplant nephrologists, nurses, pharmacists, dermatologists, endocrinologists, social workers and dieticians. Their services include: follow-up care and education for all renal transplant patients, monitoring patients by lab work, clinic visits and telephone, and facilitating transfers to and from regional transplant clinics and other transplant centres.

The team sees patients in the Post-Transplant Clinic several times per week. Immediately after discharge from hospital, patients visit the clinic up to twice a week, a schedule that will eventually decrease to once every three or four months.

To change clinic or lab appointments, to advise the clinic of changes to your information, or to arrange consults and referrals, please call Unit Coordinators:​

• Toll Free: 1-855-506-9689
• Local Direct Line: 604-806-9689

For medical emergencies after hours and on weekends, phone St. Paul’s Hospital switchboard at 604-682-2344:

1. Ask for the transplant Nephrologist on call to be paged
2. State that you are a kidney transplant patient
3. Leave your name and telephone number. The doctor will return your call as soon as possible.