All-Time Record Set in 2021 for Organ Transplants

* 40,000 transplant milestone exceeded for first time

  • Annual records set for kidney, liver, and heart transplants

  • Deceased donation continues 11-year record trend

In 2021, 41,354 organ transplants were performed in the United States, an increase of 5.9 percent over 2020 and the first time the annual total exceeded 40,000, according to preliminary data from United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), which serves as the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network under federal contract.

The three organ types most commonly transplanted all set annual volume records. There were totals of 24,669 kidney transplants, 9,236 liver transplants and 3,817 heart transplants. Liver transplant totals have set annual records for the past nine years, and heart transplants have set a record each of the past 10 years.

Mathew Cooper, M.D, FACS, president of the UNOS Board of Directors stated: “As always, we are indebted to the many thousands of people who make these transplants possible through the selfless gift of organ donation. And we are reminded daily of our need to help the tens of thousands of men, women and children continuing to await a lifesaving transplant.”

A total of 13,861 people became deceased organ donors nationwide in 2021, representing the eleventh consecutive record year for deceased donation and an increase of 10.1 percent over 2020. In May 2021, the weekly total of deceased donors exceeded 300 for the first time; on two subsequent weeks in June, the threshold of 300 donors also was surpassed.

Increases in donation occurred in many areas throughout the nation. Of 57 organ procurement organizations (OPOs), 49 experienced an increase in donation over their 2020 total.  Forty-five OPOs set all-time records for donors recovered in a single year.

         *  From UNOS.org, January 11, 2022

Carol Olash