Kidney Transplant

A kidney transplant is an operation to place a healthy kidney in your body. This kidney will do enough work to keep you healthy. You will have to take medication for the rest of your life to prevent your body from rejecting your new kidney.

Some patients may need to go on dialysis before they receive a transplant, while others may be able to get a transplant before needing dialysis.  

What are the benefits of a kidney transplant?

A kidney transplant may allow you to:

• live longer
• feel better
• cease fluid restrictions
• stop dialysis
• have more flexibility for travel, employment, diet, and lifestyle

How do I qualify to receive a kidney transplant?

Not every person can qualify as a kidney recipient. If you are interested in a transplant, speak with your kidney doctor. They will assess your suitability on factors including:

• your medical history
• your current health status
• your lifestyle
• potential living donors

If your kidney doctor thinks you are a good fit for a transplant, they will refer you to the transplant program. 

What happens during a transplant assessment?

The transplant team will talk about:

• eligibility
• the waitlist
• the risks of surgery
• the benefits of the transplant
• what to do before, during, and after transplant

If you are eligible for a transplant, you will attend appointments and tests over time to make sure you are healthy enough to go through transplant surgery.

Where do donated kidneys come from? 

A kidney for transplant can come from a deceased donor or a living donor. 

A deceased donor is a person who has died and whose family has consented to donate their organs. 

A living donor is a living person with a blood match who has agreed to be a kidney donor. Living donors can donate one of their two kidneys and go on to live healthy, normal lives with their remaining kidney. 

What are the advantages of having a living donor?

• A kidney from a living donor lasts longer than a kidney from a deceased donor.
• It can reduce or even prevent the transplant candidate’s need to start dialysis.
• The donation and transplantation surgery can be planned for a time when both the donor and the transplant candidate are in the best health: this will improve recovery after the surgery.
• Many people who have donated a kidney say that helping someone in need is a positive personal experience.

How do I find a living donor?

You can ask family, friends, neighbours, co-workers, or the general public to consider donating a kidney. Your transplant team will provide you with tools to help you ask. For more information see How to Make the Ask (from the National Kidney Foundation).

Will I have to travel off PEI for a transplant? 

Yes, transplant surgery is done in Halifax at the QEII Health Sciences Centre. Patients stay in Halifax until they are stable and are then discharged back to PEI and the care of nephrologists here.

How long does kidney transplant surgery take and what happens afterward?

Transplant surgery is three to five hours with up to a seven-day hospital stay, depending on how you fare. 

After surgery, transplant patients are followed closely by the transplant team. Your new kidney may be slow to start working and you may need dialysis until it works better. In some cases, the new kidney may not work, and you may experience organ rejection.

When you leave the hospital in Halifax you will return to PEI for care. For the first few months, you will have frequent blood tests and appointments with the kidney doctor. These will decrease over time.

You will also need to take many medications after your transplant. These will decrease over time; however, you will need to take anti-rejection medications for the rest of your life. Your transplant team can help answer your questions about medication.  

Will the PEI cover the cost of my medications?

If you have received an organ transplant, you may be eligible for coverage of approved medication costs through the Transplant Anti-Rejection Drug Program.

For more information, see Transplant Anti-rejection Drug Program.

How can I become a kidney donor in PEI? 

Any adult who is in good health can be assessed to become a living donor. Every potential donor must have a complete medical exam to ensure they are healthy enough to donate a kidney. 

How do I get started?

If you know a person waiting for a kidney transplant, you can talk to them; or, you can contact the living donation program in Halifax. 

What if I don’t match the transplant candidate?

The Kidney Paired Donation Program is a national registry that matches transplant candidates with people who want to donate their kidney. You can join as a pair with someone who needs a kidney transplant but is not a suitable match for you. If you want to donate your kidney but don’t have a specific candidate in mind, you can also join this program as an anonymous living kidney donor. 

You can indicate and record your willingness to donate organs and tissues at the time of your death through the PEI Organ and Tissue Intent to Donate Registry.

Is there any support for my expenses if I become a living donor?
Yes, there is support for expenses incurred. Since the inception of the program in 2014, the Living Donor Reimbursement Program has provided reimbursement to twenty-three individuals who donated organs or stem cells to fellow Island residents.

You will be reimbursed for out-of-pocket travel and living expenses if you choose to be a living donor for a PEI resident, or if you choose to enter the Kidney Paired Donation Program. Expenses related to travel, accommodation, meals, parking, and income loss may be eligible. 

• Living Donor Reimbursement Application and Information

For more information, please contact the Provincial Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation Manager: 
Email:  organandtissue@gov.pe.ca
Phone:  902-368-5920

About the Provincial Renal Program

Health PEI provides a range of kidney care and related services through the Provincial Renal Program to prevent, diagnose, and treat kidney disease including:  

• dialysis (in-centre hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis)
• pre and post kidney transplant care
• conservative kidney management care
• early kidney disease prevention, education, and treatment
• support to patients and families 

Contact the PEI Provincial Renal Clinic

QEH Ambulatory Care Centre
60 Riverside Drive
Charlottetown, PE C1A 8T5

Telephone:  902-894-0019
Fax:  902-620-0497