What organ has the longest waiting list?

The kidney has the longest waiting list by far, with over 80% of people on the national transplant list waiting for one, due to a massive gap between demand and supply, while organs like hearts, livers, and lungs have fewer candidates but still significant waits, with times varying greatly by patient factors and organ availability.

Which organ has the greatest number of people on a waiting list?

There are more than 106,000 people on the national transplant waiting list with 92,000 (87%) waiting for a kidney, according to the American Kidney Fund. The United States is faced with a dramatic difference between the demand for kidneys and the availability of donors.

What organ has the longest waitlist?

The list is managed by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), a private, nonprofit agency that works under contract with the federal government. There are more than 100,000 people on the national transplant waiting list with the vast majority, over 92,000, waiting for a kidney.

What organ is the highest in demand on the donor list?

The most needed organs for donation are kidneys, with the vast majority of people on transplant waiting lists needing one, followed by livers, then hearts, lungs, and pancreas/intestines, with tissues like corneas, skin, bone, and heart valves also in extremely high demand. The gap between demand and supply is most significant for kidneys, with over 85% of the waiting list needing this single organ.
 

What is the hardest organ transplant to get?

There isn't one single "hardest" organ, but lungs, intestines, and hearts are consistently cited as extremely challenging due to high infection risk (lungs), complex connections (intestines), and surgical/rejection difficulties (heart), with lungs often considered most difficult because they are so delicate and prone to infection during recovery, while intestines face significant rejection issues. The liver and pancreas also present unique challenges due to their complex metabolic functions and surgical connections. 

How Long Is The Waiting List For An Organ? - The Health Brief

What is the most rejected organ transplant?

Graft rejection rates vary by organ, but lung transplants show the highest rates of chronic rejection, affecting up to 80% of recipients within five years, while pancreas and kidney transplants also face significant risks, though livers are surprisingly more resilient; however, corneal grafts are very prone to rejection, often failing due to immune response despite natural immune protection. 

Where did Selena Gomez get her kidneys?

Selena Gomez's battle with Lupus led to kidney failure. Francia Raisa's gift saved her life. Learn more about kidney transplants. Selena Gomez took to Instagram this morning to reveal that she received the ultimate gift of life from her best friend, Francia Raisa.

What is the #1 transplant hospital in the US?

There isn't one single "number 1" transplant hospital, as rankings vary by organ and metric, but Vanderbilt Transplant Center and Tampa General Hospital (TGH) are consistently top contenders, with Vanderbilt often cited for overall volume/records and TGH leading for certain periods/organs like kidneys and livers. Vanderbilt set a record in 2025 for most solid organ transplants by one center (960), including 210 hearts, while TGH was #1 for volume in 2024 with 889 total transplants and a leader for kidney/liver transplants in prior years.
 

Which organ cannot be donated after death?

The brain is the one major organ that cannot be transplanted after death because medical technology cannot support or replace its complex functions, though tissues like corneas, skin, bone, and heart valves can be donated, and organs like kidneys, liver, lungs, and heart are commonly transplanted. Even with conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure, some organs might be viable for donation depending on the cause of death, as doctors assess suitability. 

What is the rule of 100 for organ donation?

An early and easy-to-remember series of goals were established known as the “rule of 100” [40]: systolic arterial pressure >100 mmHg, urine output >100 ml/hr, arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) >100 mmHg, and hemoglobin concentration >100 g/L.

What is the 90 minute rule for organ donation?

If the Heart Doesn't Stop Right Away

If the patient does not die within the medical time frame (usually 90 minutes), organ donation cannot take place because the organs are no longer be viable for transplant.

What is the average out of pocket cost for a kidney transplant?

Kidney Transplantation Costs

In 2020, the average kidney transplant cost was US$442,500 (6). Charges for the transplant admission, which include the surgery itself, are the most expensive line item, accounting for 34% of the total cost.

Who gets priority for organ transplants?

Proximity between the donor and the recipient

With the exception of perfectly-matched kidneys and the most urgent liver patients, first priority goes to patients at transplant hospitals situated in the communities served by the local organ procurement organization (OPO), like Gift of Life Donor Program.

What organ is most often removed?

Spleen. This organ sits on the left side of the abdomen, towards the back under the ribs. It is most commonly removed as a result of injury.

How long is the average wait for a donor organ in the US?

How long you wait is mainly determined by the availability of donated organs and the degree of compatibility between you and the donor. The national average wait time for transplant is: Kidney – 5 years. Liver – 11 months.

What organ is needed most often for donation?

Kidneys: Kidneys are the most needed and most commonly transplanted organ. Kidneys are responsible for filtering waste and excess water from the blood and balancing the body's fluids.

What 12 organs can you live without?

You can still have a fairly normal life without one of your lungs, a kidney, your spleen, appendix, gall bladder, adenoids, tonsils, plus some of your lymph nodes, the fibula bones from each leg and six of your ribs.

What is the dead donor rule?

The “Dead Donor Rule” (DDR) lies at the heart of current organ procurement policy. [10] It is not a legal statute; rather, it reflects the widely held belief that it is wrong to kill one person to save the life of another. On those grounds, an organ donor must already be dead before vital organs are removed.

Which organs remain alive after death?

The brain and nerve cells require a constant supply of oxygen and will die within a few minutes, once you stop breathing. The next to go will be the heart, followed by the liver, then the kidneys and pancreas, which can last for about an hour. Skin, tendons, heart valves and corneas will still be alive after a day.

What is the hardest transplant to recover from?

Lung Transplant: A Challenge Beyond Surgery

Initially, lung transplantation addresses severe, intractable conditions, such as chronic pulmonary failure, but this transplant is one of the most dangerous procedures.

Where did Steve Jobs get his liver transplant?

Steve Jobs received his liver transplant in 2009 at the Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute in Memphis, Tennessee, choosing this location strategically to potentially get an organ faster than waiting in California, utilizing multiple listing to broaden his options. He was considered the sickest patient on the waiting list at the time, according to hospital officials.
 

What is the cut-off age for a lung transplant?

The traditional age limit for lung transplantation is 65 years. At Mayo Clinic, however, we will evaluate individuals older than 65 who do not have significant disease processes besides their lung diseases.

Why didn't Selena invite a kidney donor to a wedding?

Selena Gomez didn't invite her kidney donor, Francia Raisa, to her recent wedding because their friendship had become strained and distant following the 2017 kidney transplant, with reports suggesting underlying issues, including Selena's smoking and Francia's feeling that her donation was downplayed, leading to a public rift, despite both acknowledging the surgery was a life-saving act. Raisa confirmed she wasn't there and stated, "No one knows what's going on, and neither she nor I are talking about it," implying complex, unresolved issues, though she expressed happiness for Selena.
 

How did Selena Gomez get lupus?

The cause is still unknown, but there are several things scientists believe cause a trigger, including hormones, medications, stress, genetics, pregnancy and exposure to UV light.

Does lupus go away after a kidney transplant?

Certain medications (such as immunosuppressants) are needed to help the body accept and function with the new kidney, and these might also help keep lupus symptoms away. There is no cure for lupus yet, but you can enter a time period when lupus symptoms are quiet, which is often called remission.