Organ donations from the recently deceased dropped last year for the first time in more than a decade, triggering a small but concerning decline in kidney transplants, according to a new analysis released Wednesday.
At a Glance
- Deceased-donor kidney transplants fell by 116 cases in 2024
- Rare reports of organ retrieval being halted when donors showed signs of life shook confidence
- Living-donor kidney transplants rose by about 100, cushioning the overall dip
- Why it matters: More than 100,000 Americans remain on transplant wait-lists and thousands die each year, making even minor declines a public-health concern
The nonprofit Kidney Transplant Collaborative reviewed federal data and found that the 2024 decrease in deceased-donor kidneys reversed an otherwise steady upward trend seen every year since 2020, when the pandemic disrupted procedures. With more than 100,000 people-most of them waiting for kidneys-still hoping for a match, any reduction in available organs can have life-or-death consequences.
Rare but Disturbing Incidents
The analysis links the downturn to a handful of highly publicized cases in which organ-recovery teams prepared to retrieve organs from patients who later showed signs of life. All of those procedures were stopped, but the episodes rattled the public and led some registered donors to request removal from donor rolls.
Dr. Andrew Howard, who leads the Kidney Transplant Collaborative, said those incidents undercut confidence despite the transplant system’s life-saving track record. The collaborative advocates for expanding living donation, which currently accounts for a small share of the nation’s roughly 28,000 annual kidney transplants.
Living Donors Offset Some Losses
Last year’s overall kidney-transplant tally would have fallen further if not for a modest rise in living donations. About 100 additional living-donor transplants were performed, helping to limit the net decline to 116 fewer deceased-donor procedures.
| Kidney Transplant Source | 2023 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deceased donors | ~24,900 | ~24,784 | -116 |
| Living donors | ~3,100 | ~3,200 | +100 |
| Total kidney transplants | ~28,000 | ~27,984 | -16 |
Broader Transplant Picture
While kidney transplants slipped, transplants of other organs continued to climb. Federal data show that heart, liver and lung transplants all posted gains in 2024, pushing the total number of U.S. organ transplants above 49,000 compared with 48,150 the previous year. Howard attributed the divergence to differences in how various organs are evaluated and allocated.
The overall transplant increase highlights the lifesaving capacity of the system, yet kidney demand still far outstrips supply. Roughly 17 people on the national wait-list die each day, according to federal statistics.
Calls to Restore Trust
The Association of Organ Procurement Organizations, which was not involved in Wednesday’s analysis, issued a statement urging its members, hospitals and federal regulators to work together to restore public faith in the donation process.
“To unite in restoring public trust and strengthening this critical system,” the group said, is an immediate priority.
One Family’s Wait
Eleven-year-old Ava Cooper spent more than six months at the Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital awaiting a heart transplant. Her family recently received the call that a suitable organ had become available, underscoring both the stakes and the hope embedded in the transplant network.
Key Takeaways
- Deceased organ donation fell in 2024, breaking a decade-long growth streak
- The decline was small but consequential for kidney patients, who make up the bulk of the wait-list
- Living donation helped offset part of the shortfall
- Publicized medical errors, though rare, have already prompted some donors to reconsider registration
- Hearts, livers and lungs all saw transplant increases, keeping total transplants above 49,000
