Transplantation

Extending lives in Atlantic Canada

The Department of Urology is proud to be a part of the QEII’s Multi-Organ Transplant Program (MOTP). Our centre provides kidney transplantation surgery and long-term transplant care for all Atlantic Canadian provinces including Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. Our program serves a catchment of 2.3 million people creating a busy transplant centre. We perform 80-100 kidney transplants annually and are honoured to be the first region in North America to implement ‘presumed consent’ for organ donation. We hope this will foster discussion and promotion of the importance of organ donation within our community.

Dr. Joseph Lawen has been an integral member of the transplant team for over 30 years. He is the past Surgical Director of the Kidney Transplant Program in Halifax and maintains an active role in both living and deceased kidney donation as well as minimally invasive renal surgery.

 

 

Dr. Thomas McGregor began his medical training in eastern Ontario, completing medical school at the University of Ottawa in 2004 and then his urology residency at Queen's University in 2009. He then went on to complete a two year fellowship in renal transplantation and minimally invasive surgery at the University of Western Ontario in 2011. From there he was recruited to the University of Manitoba where he introduced laparoscopic donor surgery and helped expand a reputable living kidney donor program. While at the University of Manitoba he was appointed to Urology Program Director as well as the Thorlakson Co-chair in Surgical Research. Following a successful stretch in Manitoba he was recruited back to Queen's University to expand the transplant program here and to bring minimally invasive donor surgery to Kingston, Ontario.  In setting up a successful Living Donor Program in Kingston, Dr. McGregor has received a Leadership Award for his efforts.  Both Winnipeg and Kingston now have very reputable Renal Transplant programs providing excellent care to patients in those regions.  Other achievements during his time at Queen's University was the initiation and set-up of a successful Robotic Renal Sugery program.

The final leg of his medical journey has brought him to the east coast of Canada to join the Dalhousie Urology Team.   He hopes to help expand an already busy kidney transplant program as well as contribute his MIS and robotic skills to help treat patients in the region who suffer from renal pathology

We currently have an AST accredited kidney transplant fellowship with exposure to all surgical and medical aspects of kidney transplantation. Medical students and residents interested in transplantation are encouraged to contact us about elective opportunities.