{"id":1604,"date":"2020-02-28T11:36:34","date_gmt":"2020-02-28T10:36:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/healthcareers.co\/?p=1604"},"modified":"2024-02-18T13:20:51","modified_gmt":"2024-02-18T12:20:51","slug":"organ-donation-statistics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/healthcareers.co\/organ-donation-statistics\/","title":{"rendered":"46 Vital Organ Donation Statistics and Facts to Know in 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unsettling <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">organ donation statistics<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> reveal that<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> more than a million people worldwide need a transplant in the hope of leading a normal life, but only 10% receive it. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">people expect a second chance at life; they want the freedom to travel, meet friends, and have fun, but they can achieve this only by undergoing an organ transplant.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As this could happen to any of us, it\u2019s essential to understand, promote, and support organ donation. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this article, we present some of the essential facts and statistics regarding organ donation and transplantation. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For more insightful health articles, browse through the rest of the pages on <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/healthcareers.co\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HealthCareers.co<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Statistics on Organ Donation<\/b><b> at a Glance<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1 donor can save up to 8 lives.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Living donors account for almost 50% of all kidney transplants.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Approximately 95% of Americans support organ donation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3 in 1000 registered people become post-mortem organ donors.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Males under 50 accounted for 65% of all deceased donors in 2018.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2018, there were around 80 organ transplants in the US every day.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are about 6,000 living donations in the US annually.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More than 123,000 Americans are on the national transplant waiting list.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1 person is included in the national transplant waiting list every 10 minutes.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Between 18\u201322 people die while waiting for an organ donation in the US every day.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>General <\/b><b>Organ Transplant Facts<\/b><\/h2>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><b>1. Transplantation is a treatment procedure used to replace disease-affected and non-functioning cells, tissues, or organs.<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(WebMD)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Transplantation is a procedure in which cells, tissues, parts of organs, or whole organs are taken from one body (donor) and placed into another body (recipient) or elsewhere in the same body. Transplantation consists of four stages \u2014 the provision of biological material, surgery, post-operative treatment, and patient follow-up.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the essential <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">transplant facts<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is that this can be a life-saving treatment in the cases of heart, pulmonary, renal, and liver failure. In non-life-threatening situations, an organ replacement can significantly improve the quality of life of patients.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>2. There are two types of transplantation \u2014 organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(WHO)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Two types of transplantation exist \u2014 organ and bone marrow transplantation. During the intervention of organ transplantation, the injured organs of the recipient are replaced with healthy organs from a living or dead donor. Organs suitable for a transplant include the heart, liver, lungs, kidney, pancreas, small intestine, and tissues, including skin, bones, cartilage, tendons, blood vessels, corneas, etc.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Facts about organ donation<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> reveal that tissue transplantation serves to recover the patient from trauma, serious injuries, burns, plastic surgery, etc. Conversely, bone marrow transplantation is a medical procedure used for the treatment of severe hematological diseases. Furthermore, in vitro fertilization of a donor egg is an example of a cell transplant. Tissue and cell donors can be both alive or deceased.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>3. Organ donation depends on the generosity of the deceased and their loved ones.<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(WHO)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Organ donation is a gratuitous act of donating the organs of a deceased or a healthy person to be used in transplants. The latest <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">transplant stats<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> show that the number of deceased donors exceeds the number of living donors. It\u2019s important to know that a healthy person can donate a portion of the liver, bone marrow, and only one kidney.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>4. 1 donor can save up to 8 lives.<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(Organ Donor)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are eight organs that can be transplanted. They include the heart, liver, pancreas, intestines, two kidneys, and lungs. Tissues that can be translated include corneas, tendons, ligaments, bones, skin, veins, heart valves, etc.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>5. \u201cDomino\u201d transplantation helps expand the <\/b><b>organ donation<\/b><b> pool. Here are some <\/b><b>facts<\/b><b> and <\/b><b>statistics<\/b><b> on this procedure.\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(National Kidney Registry)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chain 124 is a kidney transplant chain in which complete strangers donate one of their kidneys to people in need expecting nothing in return. In a domino-like fashion, 30 people received new organs across the US in 2011. However, since these \u201cdomino\u201d chains are built on trust, they depend on the good will and trustworthiness of the participants.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>6. The life of every transplanted organ is limited.<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(JAMA)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When it comes to <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">organ transplant rejection, statistics<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are somewhat grim. While <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">organ transplantation prolongs the life of the recipient, the donated organs have a limited lifespan. Survival rates of different organs showed that a big proportion of patients need a second transplant. Nevertheless, in the past 25 years, transplantation saved more than 2 million life-years, according to a report by <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">United Network for Organ Sharing<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UNOS<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">). For example, kidney transplants saved 1,272,969 life-years, while liver transplants saved 465,296 life-years.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Organ donation facts and myths<\/b><\/h2>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><b>7. 1 or 2 in every 100 patients get a hidden infection of the transplanted organ.\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(CDC)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Donors are screened for common infections and diseases before transplantation. However, it\u2019s a known fact that their organs can cause viral, bacterial, fungal, and parasitic infections. The most common infections that go undetected during screening include hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A liver transplant cannot cure hepatitis C or autoimmune hepatitis. It\u2019s because of the circulating virus and autoreactive cells and autoantibodies. In such cases, it\u2019s essential to treat the concomitant disease appropriately. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are also<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> rare cases in which transplants are responsible for autoimmune diseases and even <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/healthcareers.co\/cancer-statistics\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">cancer<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>8. The doctors won\u2019t be interested in saving the lives of people willing to be donors.\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(American Transplant Foundation)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is a myth. Firstly, doctors work hard to save any patient\u2019s life, especially in urgent situations. Secondly, the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/healthcareers.co\/nursing-statistics\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">medical staff<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> dealing with organ donation is separate from emergency or intensive care units. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Organ donation after death <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014 according to <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">facts<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2014 is a very emotional and sensitive issue, and it\u2019s no wonder that people sometimes blame doctors for the death of their loved one.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>9. A living donation can be a costly initiative.\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(PubMed)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s true that \u2014 even though life-saving and greatly generous \u2014 donating a kidney or a liver part is a huge financial burden. Transplant-related costs in the US vary between $5,000\u2013$20,000, and they include lost pay due to the time required for the procedure, recovery, travel, medical expenses, etc. The high costs are the reason for the a decreasing number of living organ donors, especially in low-income countries. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Organ donation stats<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> reveal that being a living donor can lead to losing your life insurance coverage or being charged with higher premiums after donating.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>10. The family has to pay the medical expenses that accompany post-mortem donation.\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(American Transplant Foundation)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is yet another myth. The family of a deceased donor may only be charged for the medical costs before death and those related to funeral arrangements. Any expenses involved with the processing of organs and tissues needed for a transplant don\u2019t transfer to the family of the deceased donor.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>11. Buying and selling human organs is illegal, but transplant tourism is flourishing.\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(CJASN)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is completely true. However, the practice is not banned on a global level. According to <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">organ donation statistics<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">worldwide<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> organ trade is flourishing. Today, people travel to the Philippines, China, and Iran to get a transplant.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, transplant tourism has two big problems. First, recipients are at a severe health risk of non-screened donor diseases, higher rates of rejection, and severe infections. Second, the increased demand for organs around the world creates a niche for international black markets for organ trade. Moreover, these donors are often illiterate individuals, refugees, or prisoners. In America, organ trade is allowed for research purposes only.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>12. You can receive an organ sooner if you pay a lot of money.\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(American Transplant Foundation)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many people cannot discern <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">myths and facts about organ donation<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Namely, receiving an organ from a living or a deceased donor depends entirely on factors such as blood type, immune compatibility, the severity of illness, time spent waiting, etc. Income, race, and social status cannot influence your place on the national waiting list.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>13. A donation could be refused if a donor is in poor medical condition.\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(PubMed)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s completely true that age, illness, and physical defects can prevent someone from being a donor. The same goes for <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">opt-out organ donation<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">statistics<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> reveal that all organs and tissues are evaluated to determine whether they are viable and suitable for transplantation. Interestingly enough, people with chronic diseases or those who had cancer are still encouraged to register as donors.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the other hand, being obese can be a serious obstacle to getting a transplant. Patients are advised to reduce weight to a BMI of 30 or less before transplantation. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/healthcareers.co\/obesity-statistics\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Obesity<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is associated with complications after surgery, such as a higher chance of infections, reduced organ function, development of heart disease, and other health problems.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Worldwide <\/b><b>Organ Donation Facts<\/b><\/h2>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><b>14. Approximately 95% of Americans support organ donation.<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(Organ Donor)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, only 58% joined the donor registry. Promotion campaigns could make donations more popular.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>15. More than 155 million people in the US are signed up as organ donors.<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(Organ Donor)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Organ donation statistics<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2018<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> show that an average of 58% of the US over the age of 18 were registered as donors. The top three states with the highest percentage of registered donors were Montana (93%), followed by Alaska (92%), and Washington (89%).<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>16. 3 in 1000 registered people become post-mortem organ donors.<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(Mayo Clinic)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether an organ would be suitable for transplantation or not depends on the cause and manner of death. Keeping oxygenated blood flowing to the organs is of the essence. The <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">stats on organ donation<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> show that the most common types of illnesses or accidents that make the organ donations possible are severe head trauma, brain aneurysm, and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/healthcareers.co\/stroke-statistics\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">stroke<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. It\u2019s important to emphasize that the donation may take place only if the brain injury is irreversible.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>17. The number of registered donors and transplants increases, whereas the number of people on the waiting lists decreases.<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(Donate Life America Annual Report)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the table below, you can see the tendency in numbers of registered donors, transplants, and people on the waiting lists in the US, according to <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">organ donation statistics<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2019<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Registered donors<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Transplants<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On a waiting list<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2015<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">15,062<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">30,973<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">122,071<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2016<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">15,947<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">33,612<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">119,362<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2017<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">16,473<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">34,770<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">115,759<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2018<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">17,554<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">36,529<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">113,759<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There were 6,831 living and 10,722 deceased donors out of 17,554 registered donors in 2018.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>18. Males under 50 accounted for 65% of all deceased donors in 2018.\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(Organ Donor)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Furthermore, 61% of all deceased donors were males. The causes of death were connected to an unhealthy lifestyle that is more common in men than women. According to <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">organ donor statistics<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2017<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, there\u2019s also a higher prevalence of cardiovascular diseases in men than in women.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Statistics on the Transplant Process\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><b>19. In 2018, there were around 80 organ transplants in the US every day.\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(GODT, Organ Donor, IRODaT)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There were 62% male and 38% female recipients in 2018. This accounted for 36,528 transplants performed in the US alone. There were more than 85,000 corneal and a million tissue transplants. Moreover, the number of transplanted organs in 2018 was the highest it had been since 2012. And according to <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">organ donation statistics worldwide<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, in <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2018<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Spain was the European leader with a total of 2241 donated organs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>20. More than 700,000 transplants have been performed in the US since 1998.<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(American transplant foundation)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The history of organ transplantation in the US began in 1988 when the Organ Transplant Amendments were added to the existing organ procurement and transplantation authorities.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>21. There are 6000 living donations in the US every year.<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(Organ Donor)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As expected, there are fewer living donations than those coming from deceased donors. Furthermore, one-quarter of the living donors are not biologically related to the recipients.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Organ Donation Facts<\/b><b> About the National Transplant Waiting List<\/b><\/h2>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><b>22. The US national transplant waiting list consisted of more than 123,000 people in mid-2019.<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This list includes men, women, and children, most of whom \u2014 above 100,000 \u2014 are waiting for kidney transplants. And kidney transplants make for approximately half of all organ transplants.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>23. 1 person is included in the national transplant waiting list every 10 minutes.\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(Organ Donor)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Transplant statistics<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> reveal that the demand for organs surpasses the number of registered donors. This is one of the reasons for the existence of black markets.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>24. Between 18\u201322 citizens die while waiting for organ donation in the US every day.\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(Donate Life America)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Organs are rarely donated on time. Consequently, around 8,000 Americans die in the US every year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>25. Based on where you live, you can predict how long you have to wait for a transplant.<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(PubMed)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s hard to predict when the organs needed for transplantation will be available. Wait times vary based on the blood type, type of disease, and location. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Organ transplant waiting list statistics<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> report that the shortest wait time in the US is in New England, whereas the longest waiting periods for kidney transplants are in the Southeast. The highest rate of kidney failure after transplant surgery was also observed in the Southeast.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Kidney Transplant Statistics<\/b><\/h2>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><b>26. More than 80% of people on the waiting lists need new kidneys.<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(Donate Life America)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Each month, over 3,000 new patients in need of kidneys are added to the waiting list. And unfortunately, 13 people die while waiting for transplantation each day. Of those on the waiting list, more than 4500 die each year, while more than 3500 have their health deteriorate so much that the transplantation becomes impossible.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>27. 1 in 9 Americans suffer from kidney disease.<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(American Transplant Foundation)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This accounts for approximately 26 million US citizens. Most of these people do not know that they have a disease. Fortunately, a lot of them get to the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">kidney transplant waiting list, statistics<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> reveal.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>28. Kidney disease is one of the top killers in America.<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(American Transplant Foundation)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kidney and liver diseases kill over 120,000 Americans each year, which is more than the number of people who die from Alzheimer\u2019s, breast cancer, or prostate cancer.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>28. The average wait time for a patient with non-functioning kidneys is 3.6 years.\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(National Kidney Foundation)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The median wait time, however, is strongly individual. It depends on the health status, medical compatibility (ABO, immunological, genetic), and availability of organs.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>29. Living donors account for almost 50% of all kidney transplants.\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(WHO)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For comparison, only 14.6% of all liver transplants come from living donors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Liver Transplant Facts<\/b><\/h2>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><b>30. After the 5th year from a deceased donor liver transplant, the survival rate is 75%.\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(NIDDK)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The chances of successful liver transplantation and long-term survival are very individual, depending on the health status, the underlying cause for liver failure, age, and the existence of other diseases. Taking into account all of these factors, the survival rate in the first year is 86%, and after 20 years, it\u2019s 53%.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>31. Approximately 8,000 liver transplantations are performed in the US each year.<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(American Liver Foundation)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The liver transplant surgery is performed on people with end-stage liver disease. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Liver transplant statistics<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> reveal that getting a new liver can cure diseases such as cirrhosis. A liver transplant is also suggested when there aren\u2019t any other viable treatment options left.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>32. More than 14,000 Americans are waiting for a liver transplant.<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(American Journal of Transplantation)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The number of people eligible for a liver transplant in the US increases every year. They are included in the national waiting list.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>33. The time spent in the hospital after liver transplantation is about 3 weeks.<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(NIDDK)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Liver transplantation \u2014 like other surgical procedures \u2014\u00a0 requires more time spent in the hospital. This is needed to evaluate and follow up on the functioning of the new organ, the success of the operation, to establish the rules for home recovery, etc.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Heart Transplant Statistics<\/b><\/h2>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><b>34. The first successful heart transplantation was performed in 1967.<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(History)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The procedure was performed on a 53-year-old woman by Dr. Christiaan Barnard in Cape Town, South Africa. Since then, thanks to the available immunosuppression, the success of cardiac transplantation has increased worldwide.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>35. The main goals and recommendations for cardiac transplantation are to extend the survival and improve the quality of life of patients.<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(American Society of Transplantation)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Indications and contraindications for heart transplantation in adults include cardiac disease with poor prognosis, heart failure, and reduced heart function despite medical therapy. Thus, the primary factor for selecting patients is the individual prognosis, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">according to the organ donation statistics<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2016<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>36. Up to 90% of heart transplant patients are alive in the first year after the surgery.<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(American Heart Association, Aha Journals<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ahajournals.org\/doi\/full\/10.1161\/CIR.0000000000000204\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">)<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Between 85\u201390% of patients survive the first year after the transplantation, while the annual death rate increases with 4% each year after that. The three-year survival rate is estimated at 75%. However, the survival of the patient also depends on the underlying diseases and other medical and epidemiological factors.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These mortality rates are very similar to those associated with other forms of<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/healthcareers.co\/heart-disease-statistics\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">heart disease<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Therefore, a lot of people in need of re-transplantation appear on the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">heart transplant waiting list, statistics<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> reveal. For example, the survival rate of patients with congenital heart disease was 79% at one year and 60% at five years after surgery.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>37. Early mortality after heart transplantation is associated with an acute rejection of the organ.<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(American Society of Transplantation)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cardiac transplant recipients experienced, on average, two episodes of organ rejection in the first year after surgery. At least one rejection episode is observed in 50\u201380% of patients, according to the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">heart transplant facts<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Acute rejection, which is the cause of 18% of heart failure after transplantation, is most likely to occur in the first three to six months after the surgery. After the first six months, the chance of rejection declines over time. The early mortality can be due to infections as well (22% of cases). It occurs mainly because the immune system becomes inhibited by the anti-rejection medications.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>38. The survival rate is higher in heart-transplanted children than adults.<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(JHLT Online)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The long-term survival of pediatric recipients was at average 16.1 years compared to a median survival of 10.7 years in adult patients. Many factors are responsible for these results, including health status, lack of other chronic diseases, etc.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Lung Transplant Statistics<\/b><\/h2>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><b>39. Since 1988, about 36,100 lung transplants were performed in the US.<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(OPTN)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A large number of surgeries to transplant lungs were performed in the US, mainly for patients between 18 to 64 years.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>40. After single-lung transplantation, the one-year survival rate is almost 80%.<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(NHLBI)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Furthermore, the survival rate for lung transplants has been improving in recent years. Today, the five-year survival rate is above 50%, depending on many factors, such as facilities, countries, etc. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lung transplant facts<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> show slightly better survival rates for double-lung transplants compared to the single one (median survival of 6.6 vs. 4.6 years, respectively). <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>41. A standard surgical procedure for single-lung transplantation takes between 4\u20138 hours to perform.<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(NHLBI)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Transplantation that includes a transfer of both lungs can take up to 12\u201314 hours.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>42. Severe complications after lung transplantation occur mainly in the first year following surgery.\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(NHS)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The deadly and severe complications arise in the first year following the transplantation. However, complications can occur at any time, many years after the surgery.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Other <\/b><b>Organ Transplant Stats<\/b><\/h2>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><b>43. In 2011, the first successful womb transplantation was performed.<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(Live Science)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The surgery was executed in Turkey, where a 21-year-old woman born without a uterus received a womb from a deceased woman. The real success was observed later when the young women gave birth to a child.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>44. A 1-year-old girl received six organs at once in 2008.\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(Live Science)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Due to a massive abdominal tumor and metastases, the affected stomach, liver, spleen, small intestine, pancreas, and part of an esophagus were successfully replaced by new organs. Although the mortality risk was estimated at nearly 50%, the procedure was performed when a suitable donor was found.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>45. The most commonly transplanted tissue in the US is the cornea.<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(American transplant foundation)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eye donation facts<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> state that more than 40,000 corneal transplants take place in America every year.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>46. Face transplant surgery has become more popular in recent years.<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(Independent)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Every face transplant procedure is unique, depending on the donor\u2019s and recipient\u2019s individual characteristics. Nevertheless, this procedure of fitting skin, nerves, and muscle, is often performed as a last hope to recover the normal life of patients. Still, face transplantation can have unpredictable long-term effects.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><b>FAQ<\/b><\/h2>\n<h3><strong>How many people are organ donors?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It depends on the country. For example, almost 95% of the population welcomes organ donation in the US. However, the number of actually registered donors is slightly above 50%. In Europe, 41% support organ donation, and only around 18% are registered as donors.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>How to become an organ donor?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An organ donor can be any person in a state of health, with no absolute medical contraindications (serious infectious and oncological diseases). The person should inform their doctors and family about their decision.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>How many lives are saved each year from organ donation?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A single organ donor may affect up to eight people by saving their lives. As a single tissue donor, they may improve the lives of up to 50 people. In 2018, more than 140,174 transplantations were performed globally.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Why is organ donation important?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Organ donation is a gratuitous act applied to patients in serious health risks who are looking for a second chance for a new life. The life of anyone who needs a new organ to survive depends on the willingness of donors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><b>Conclusion<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Incorporating these <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">organ donation statistics<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> will help us promote this act of gratuity among other people and show the nature and importance of organ donation while raising public awareness. We also have to remember that we need to talk about this topic with our loved ones as well. They have to be aware of our decision to be able to make the right decision in a difficult time for the family, because we have to remember that, one day, we may need an organ donation as well.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Sources:<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ahajournals.org\/doi\/full\/10.1161\/CIR.0000000000000204\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Aha Journals<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.heart.org\/en\/health-topics\/congenital-heart-defects\/care-and-treatment-for-congenital-heart-defects\/heart-transplant\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">American Heart Association<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/full\/10.1111\/ajt.14559\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">American Journal of Transplantation\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/liverfoundation.org\/for-patients\/about-the-liver\/the-progression-of-liver-disease\/liver-transplant\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">American Liver Foundation<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/circ.ahajournals.org\/content\/early\/2012\/07\/02\/CIR.0b013e31823eb07a.full.pdf+html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">American Society of Transplantation<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.americantransplantfoundation.org\/about-transplant\/facts-and-myths\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">American Transplant Foundation<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/transplantsafety\/outbreak-invest\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CDC<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cjasn.asnjournals.org\/content\/3\/5\/1227\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CJASN<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.organdonor.gov\/statistics-stories\/statistics.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Donate life America<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.donatelife.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/DLA_AnnualReport.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Donate Life America Annual Report<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.transplant-observatory.org\/summary\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">GODT<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.history.com\/this-day-in-history\/first-human-heart-transplant\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">History<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/life-style\/health-and-families\/face-transplants-surgeon-pinoneer-dr-rodriguez-new-york-plastic-cosmetic-patrick-hardison-a7544086.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Independent<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/jamanetwork.com\/journals\/jamasurgery\/fullarticle\/2100153\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">JAMA<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.jhltonline.org\/article\/S1053-2498(17)31910-1\/pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">JHLT Online<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.livescience.com\/36279-interesting-transplants.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Live Science<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinicproceedings.org\/article\/S0025-6196(11)61602-9\/fulltext\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mayo Clinic<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kidney.org\/news\/newsroom\/factsheets\/Organ-Donation-and-Transplantation-Stats\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">National Kidney Foundation<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/kidneyregistry.org\/pages\/p215\/NYTimes_60_chain.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">National Kidney Registry<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhlbi.nih.gov\/node\/3963\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NHLBI<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/conditions\/lung-transplant\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NHS<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.niddk.nih.gov\/health-information\/liver-disease\/liver-transplant\/definition-facts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NIDDK<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.niddk.nih.gov\/health-information\/liver-disease\/liver-transplant?dkrd=hispt0393\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NIDDK<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/optn.transplant.hrsa.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">OPTN<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/optn.transplant.hrsa.gov\/data\/view-data-reports\/national-data\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">OPTN<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.organdonor.gov\/statistics-stories\/statistics.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Organ Donor<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/23990679\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PubMed<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/23221167\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PubMed<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/24891272\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PubMed<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.webmd.com\/a-to-z-guides\/organ-transplant-overview#1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">WebMD<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.who.int\/transplantation\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">WHO<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Unsettling organ donation statistics reveal that more than a million people worldwide need a transplant [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":1613,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false},"categories":[133,134],"tags":[149,151,148,152],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/healthcareers.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/eye-766166_1280.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthcareers.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1604"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthcareers.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthcareers.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthcareers.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthcareers.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1604"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/healthcareers.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1604\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8416,"href":"https:\/\/healthcareers.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1604\/revisions\/8416"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthcareers.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1613"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthcareers.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1604"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthcareers.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1604"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthcareers.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1604"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}