An update of the Canadian Organ Replacement Register (1998)

CORR reports that 21,451 transplants have been performed from 1981-1996. Approximately 78% of these have been kidney transplantations. Survival statistics revealed that progress has been made to improve both patient and graft survival, particularly during the period between 1991-1996. Consequently, the number of patients being followed with a functioning transplant increased to 11,645. There has been a rise in the number of kidney transplants, which is largely attributed to an increase in the number of living donors. Data also revealed that there was increasing acceptance of elderly patients, who were not transplant candidates, into dialysis programs. Furthermore, the percentage of the number of patients alive with functioning kidney transplants to the total number of patients with ESRD increased from 41% in 1981 to 46% in 1996. Non-renal transplant activity has increased in the recent past. Overall, 5-year patient and graft survival was about 70%. This improvement in survival was associated with a reduction in 30-, 60- and 90-day mortality. The organ donation rate has increased slightly from 13.9 donors per million population in 1994 to 14.1 in 1996. The majority of Canadian donors were multi-organ donors, while fewer were kidney, liver, heart or lung-specific donors only. The proportion of female donors has increased. The number of patients waiting for transplants continues to increase. Approximately 3,072 patients are on waiting lists; the majority are for kidney transplants. As the increase in the number of donors does not match the increasing numbers of transplants needed, this suggests that greater efforts are necessary to reduce this difference.