The United States witnessed a subtle reduction in organ donations from deceased individuals last year, ending a continuous growth streak that had lasted for more than ten years. This decrease particularly affected kidney transplants, according to a study published on Wednesday that emphasized emerging concerns about public skepticism regarding the transplant system.
Currently, over 100,000 Americans wait for organ transplants, with the vast majority requiring kidneys. Thousands lose their lives each year while awaiting transplantation. The Kidney Transplant Collaborative, a nonprofit entity, examined federal transplant statistics and identified 116 fewer kidney transplants conducted in the last year compared to 2024. While the number appears modest, it signals a potential warning indicating reduced public confidence in the organ donation process.
The assessment linked the decline to a series of rare yet troubling incidents where patients prepared for organ retrieval appeared to exhibit signs of life. These cases halted planned recovery procedures and prompted the development of additional protective measures within the transplant framework. Nonetheless, these reports significantly affected public perception, prompting some individuals to remove themselves from organ donor registries.
Dr. Andrew Howard, the leader of the Kidney Transplant Collaborative, noted that the decrease in kidney transplants from deceased donors would have been more pronounced had there not been an approximate increase of 100 kidney transplants from living donors. Living donation, wherein a healthy individual donates one kidney to a recipient in need, comprises a small portion of the approximately 28,000 kidney transplants conducted annually. The collaborative champions the expansion of living donor programs as a strategy to offset declines from deceased donor transplants.
Excluding the pandemic-affected year 2020, organ transplants have generally increased annually over the past decade. Despite the reduction in deceased donor kidney transplants last year, the total number of organ transplants rose slightly to just over 49,000 from 48,150 in 2024. Transplantations of cardiac, hepatic, and pulmonary organs continued to grow according to federal records, potentially reflecting differing evaluation and allocation processes across organ types, as explained by Howard.
The Association of Organ Procurement Organizations, though not involved in this analysis, expressed serious concern over these findings. It called upon its members, along with healthcare providers and federal agencies, to collaborate in rebuilding public trust and reinforce the critical organ transplant system.