Highlights

• The number of transplants was virtually unchanged between 2006 and 2011.
  • In 2011, the number of deceased organ donors increased to 514, or 15 per million Canadians, which was the highest number in 10 years.
  • The number of living donors has declined.
• Organ transplants in 2011 included:
  • 1,247 kidney transplants
  • 152 heart transplants
  • 485 liver transplants
  • 175 lung transplants
  • 72 pancreatic transplants
• At the end of 2011, there were 4,543 patients waiting for an organ transplant; 3,406 of them needed kidneys.
  • The number of those waiting for an organ transplant has been slowly increasing since 2005.
  • Of the 265 patients who died waiting for an organ in 2011, 80 of them needed kidneys and 25 needed a heart.
• Four out of five patients on dialysis received hemodialysis in a hospital setting, which is the most expensive treatment option.

End-Stage Renal Disease among Aboriginal Peoples

• Aboriginal peoples are three times as likely to seek treatment for kidney failure or end-stage renal disease (ESRD) compared to other Canadians.
• Aboriginal ESRD patients were almost twice as likely to be diagnosed with diabetes as their non-Aboriginal counterparts (49% versus 27%) and were more likely to be obese (40% versus 27%).
• Aboriginal patients with ESRD are less likely to receive kidney transplantation (27% versus 42%)—but those who do get a new kidney have survival rates that are similar to those for others in Canada (84% after five years).
• Aboriginal patients who undergo dialysis have a lower survival rate after five years (40% versus 45%).
• One in five Aboriginal ESRD patients must travel more than 250 km to receive treatment.

Sources:

2013 CORR Report-Treatment of End-Stage Organ Failure in Canada, 2002 to 2011

End-Stage Renal Disease Among Aboriginal Peoples in Canada: Treatment and Outcomes

Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI).