New live donor liver transplant program
Vancouver General Hospital is the fourth site in Canada, and the only hospital in B.C., to offer a live donor liver transplant program.
There was a record number of deceased donor liver transplants in the province in 2023 (112 compared to 101 in 2022), and yet there are more patients waiting for liver transplants than available organs. The VGH live donor liver transplant program offers another option closer to home for those in need of a liver transplant.
This is a significant milestone for the transplant team at VGH, and a reflection of the highly trained surgical, clinical and operational team that helped relaunch this program after it was paused in 2018.
A live-donor liver transplant is when a surgeon removes a portion of the liver from a healthy, living person and places it into someone whose liver is no longer working properly. The liver of both the patient and the donor then regenerates a few months after surgery.
The VGH program gives eligible and medically suitable living relatives, a spouse or friends the choice of becoming a donor.
Transplant stories share real moments behind organ transplants
Behind each person's organ transplant is a powerful story about the remarkable work of the health-care professionals supporting them. In November, these stories were shared in a four-part docuseries launching on Knowledge Network.
Transplant Stories aired Nov. 19 – Dec. 10 and was produced by Omnifilm Entertainment and filmed with support from BC Transplant, Vancouver Coastal Health and Providence Health Care. It featured the multidisciplinary teams at Vancouver General Hospital and G.F. Strong Rehabilitation Centre.
Watch Dr. Costa, Marilyn, Connie and more of our colleagues on the Knowledge Network
