Liver transplantation

A large number of individuals in our community were infected with HIV and/or hepatitis C because of tainted blood. Many have passed away, while many others continue to live with the viruses and their consequences, including liver disease. Increasingly, people are thinking about or are being considered for liver transplantation. At present, access to liver transplants in Canada for people infected with HIV is limited to non-existent.

The CHS HIV-Hepatitis National Committee has been working to address this issue. Among other things, the CHS has been collaborating and advocating with the Canadian Treatment Action Council (CTAC) to make solid organ transplants available for HIV-positive people in Canada. To further this work, the CHS HIV-Hepatitis National Committee is trying to assess the number of infected individuals from our community considering a liver transplantation, either here in Canada or abroad.

The CHS also wants to remind all members that the organization can provide support and information to those considering a transplant. If this is your case, or if you simply would like to help advance our work to obtain better access to liver transplants, please feel free to contact Michel Long in all confidentiality at the CHS national office: mlong@hemophilia.ca or 1-800-668-2686.

View this video for a better understanding of the urgency of greater access to liver transplantations.

James Kreppner on liver transplant eligibility for people with HIV

Two studies - one from 2007 and one from 2008 on HIV liver transplantation:
Stock and Roland September 2007
Roland et al  February 2008 Amer J of Transplantation