UHN Surgeon-in-Chief Appointed to Order of Canada

Posted On: January 30, 2015
TGHRI Senior Scientist and UHN Surgeon-in-Chief Dr. Shaf Keshavjee has been appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada—one of the country’s highest civilian honours. The distinction recognizes outstanding achievements that have improved the lives of Canadians.

Dr. Keshavjee received the distinction for his innovative contributions to thoracic surgery, notably in the development of the Toronto XVIVO System, which has improved lung transplantation worldwide.

The process effectively preserves donor organs and extends the window of time that an organ can be removed from a deceased donor and transplanted into a recipient without tissue deterioration. Specifically, the technology enables lungs to be preserved outside of the body for over 25 hours, improving on existing limits, which require transplantation to occur within 4 hours. Thus, when used, the technology provides more time for donated organs to be matched transported to recipients. Congratulations to Dr. Keshavjee.

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