Transplant Milestone: 1 Million Organ Transplants

In September 2022, the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) announced that the US has performed one million organ transplants, more than any country in the world. 

Thanks to a growing public commitment to organ donation, and to the collective skill and dedication of thousands of organ donation and transplant professionals, the nation continues its record-setting trend of increases each year in transplantation:

·       In 2021, for the first time, more than 40,000 transplants took place, a total likely to be repeated if not surpassed in 2022. 

·       Half of all transplants ever performed in the US have taken place in just the past 15 years.

·       More than 400,000 people are alive today with a functioning transplant. 

The 1 million milestone demonstrates a powerful trend of system-wide increases, a success made possible by the ongoing expansion of more equitable organ allocation policies, an increasing focus on non-traditional donors, collaborative efforts to increase donation, the continuous evolution of organ preservation techniques and other scientific breakthroughs.

Register now to live it forward: Become an organ donor

UNOS encourages everyone to become part of our community by registering as an organ donor. One person can save up to eight lives through organ donation and change the lives of as many as 75 through tissue donation. Because only two percent of people die in a way that makes organ donation possible, the need is great. More than 100,000 people remain on the transplant waitlist. Please register today at RegisterMe.org