February 03, 2014 - 10:07 AM
VANCOUVER - Doctors in British Columbia performed a record number of kidney transplants from living donors in 2013.
One hundred and 27 of the life-saving procedures were carried out in B.C. last year, an increase of 44 over 2012.
Officials with BC Transplant report 2013 was also a banner year for the total number of transplants performed in the province, at 346.
Organs came from 197 British Columbians, including 130 living donors, helping the province mark its greatest increase in living kidney donations.
BC Transplant says B.C. leads the nation in living donations at 28 donors per million population, while the rate of 14.5 donors per million for deceased donations matches the national average.
Despite the positive numbers, the organization says nearly 500 British Columbians still await a match, and potential donors are urged to register at transplant.bc.ca to give someone else another chance at life.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2014