Scandiatransplant 20 years.

The first kidney transplant in Scandinavia was performed in 1956 by the late Professor Leif Efskind in Oslo, Norway. During the following 7-year period he did another four necro-kidney transplants. The first living related kidney transplant was performed at Ullevål Hospital in Oslo in 1963. In 1964 kidney transplantation programs were started in Helsinki, Stockholm and Aarhus, followed by Gothenburg in 1965. By the end of 1970 programs had also started in Copenhagen, Uppsala, Lund/Malmö and Odense. At present, there are 10 kidney transplant centers in Scandinavia: four in Denmark, four in Sweden, and one each in Finland and Norway. By the end of 1968 a total of 358 kidney transplants had been performed in Scandinavia. Of these, 169 (47%) were from living related donors. This new treatment modality called for closer cooperation between the Nordic countries, and during the last 20 years cooperation has been broadened through two working bodies: an expert committee and the Scandiatransplant organization.