Dialysis is celebrating its 70 years in Montreal

Hugo Duchaine

Wednesday, 28 February 2018 01:00

UPDATE
Wednesday, 28 February 2018 01:00

Look at this article

Dialysis treatments exist in Montreal the past 70 years this year since the inventor’s Dutch first artificial kidney here has sent one of its devices, just after the Second world War.

• READ ALSO: A Guinness world record for dialysis, for a Laval

“We owe a debt of gratitude to the Dutch,” says nephrologist Mortimer Levy of the McGill university health Centre (MUHC).

17th patient

The inventor of the artificial kidney, Dr. Willem Kolff, was in full world war in hiding from the nazis. Its first 16 patients are all dead, but the 17th patient that he treated for renal failure survived. This one, named Sophia Schafstadt, is famous for having said ” if I survive, I’ll divorce “, what she has done.

After the war, Dr. Kolff wanted to enjoy the whole world of his invention, sending of the equipment in five major cities, including Montreal.

“He never patented and gave freely of his plans,” said Dr. Levy about the original machine in wood.

Dialysis removes waste and excess water from the blood and is the only available treatment for patients whose kidneys are unable to do so.

February 23, 1948

In Montreal, he is a student of Dr. Kolff came to work at the Royal Victoria hospital who conducted the first dialysis on February 23, 1948. It was the third in the country, after Toronto and Vancouver.

The device of wood of Dr. Kolff was later replaced by a model in metal, ” says Dr. Levy. But the huge machine, which measured more than four feet by four feet, making slow rotations, has since been replaced by a small cylinder.

Today, the McGill university health Centre treats approximately 300 patients, that is, 40 000 dialysis treatments per year.

The kidney disease, affecting one in ten canadians, according to the kidney Foundation of canada.