The Kidney Transplant Collaborative is worried about the status of kidney transplants in the US. Here's the statement they published this month, which expresses concern about a drop in deceased donations.
"The kidney transplant waitlist has long exceeded the supply of available kidney organs. The waitlist today includes more than 94,000 Americans, with more than 28,000 deceased and living kidney transplants occurring in 2025. Even more troubling, recent events seem to have led to a decline in overall kidney transplants from 2024 to 2025, driven by a decline in deceased donor transplants. This represents the first time in the 21st century that we see an annual isolated decline in deceased donations and deceased donor kidney transplants, even while living donor kidney transplants increase and the kidney discard rate declines, the latter reflecting increased use of available deceased donor kidneys.
...
"What has caused this unprecedented and isolated decline in deceased kidney donations? While policymakers have been appropriately focused on maintaining the integrity of the
deceased donor process, an unanticipated effect of recent oversight efforts of the kidney transplant system and accompanying negative media reports has shaken the deceased donor
landscape and may have possibly caused the reduction in deceased donor rates. Given this emerging trend, the importance of increasing living donation has come into even sharper focus. Policymakers and all stakeholders in the kidney transplant process will need to focus on the impact of the recent oversight efforts and take clear measures to responsibly increase kidney transplant rates, most likely via a focus on living kidney donor supportive policy.
...
"Unreported until now, however, is the negative impact that this recent Congressional focus may be having on kidney transplant levels themselves. The impact is measurable – from 2024 to 2025, there were 116 fewer kidney transplants. This is due to 218 fewer deceased donor kidney transplants and an increase of 102 living donor kidney transplants for 2025 as compared to 2024 – the first time this century that there appears to be an isolated decline of deceased kidney donations driving the decrease in overall kidney transplants.
...
"Recent, highly publicized revelations involving OPOs have had a serious and harmful effect on public trust in organ donation. As a result, fewer individuals and families appear willing to consent to organ donation after death. Data from the OPTN Transplant Metrics National Dashboard shows that the number of kidneys recovered from deceased donors remained steady during the first half of 2025. However, beginning in June 2025, the number of deceased donors began to decline, and that decline has continued to accelerate. In 2025, a total of 15,274 deceased donors underwent kidney recovery, compared to 15,937 during 2024 for a net percentage change of negative 4.2%."
HT: Martha Gershun
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment