When does a person need a transplant?

Medical Indications
Sometimes an organ is irreversibly damaged by long-lasting disease or viral infection. Adults with long-term organ failure or other irreversible injury that can’t be treated by any other medical or surgical means may be candidates for organ transplants.

When an organ no longer can adequately work and a person is at risk of dying, a transplant may be indicated. It involves removing a diseased organ and replacing it with a healthy donated organ. Transplantation is recognized as a proven procedure in appropriately selected patients.

Statistics
Heart Transplants

• There were 2,185 heart transplants performed in the United States in 1999.
• Each year an estimated 20,000 to 40,000 Americans would benefit from a heart transplant.
• In the United States, about 75 percent of heart transplant patients are male; 79 percent are white; 52 percent are ages 50-64 and 20 percent are ages 35-49.
• The one-year survival rate is 83 percent; the two-year survival rate is 78 percent; the three-year survival rate is 74; and the four-year survival rate is 71.

Kidney Transplants

• There are currently 46,817 people on the waiting list for a kidney transplant.
• In 1999, 12,483 kidney transplants were performed. Of these, 4,153 were from living donors.
• With a cadaveric donor, the one-year survival rate is 93 percent; the two-year survival rate is 91 percent; the three-year survival rate is 88 percent; and the four year survival rate is 85 percent.
• With a living donor, the one-year survival rate is 97 percent; the two-year survival rate is 96 percent; the three-year survival rate is 94 percent; and the four-year survival rate is 92 percent.
• In the United States in 1999, 60 percent of kidney transplant recipients were white, 22 percent were Black, 10 percent were Hispanic and 3 percent were Asian.

Liver Transplants

• There are currently 16,399 people on the waiting list for a liver transplant.
• In 1999, 4,698 liver transplants were performed.
• The one-year survival rate is 81 percent; the two-year survival rate is 78 percent; the three-year survival rate is 75 percent; and the four-year survival rate is 73 percent.
• In the United States in 1999, 75 percent of liver transplant recipients were white, 8 percent were Black, 10 percent were Hispanic and 3 percent were Asian.

Lung Transplants

• There are currently 3,648 people on the waiting list for a lung transplant.
• In 1999, 885 lung transplants were performed.
• The one-year survival rate is 74 percent; the two-year survival rate is 65 percent; the three-year survival rate is 57 percent; and the four-year survival rate is 49 percent.
• In the United States in 1999, 93 percent of lung transplant recipients were white, 3 percent were Black, 1 percent were Hispanic.

Pancreas Transplants

• There are currently 968 people on the waiting list for a pancreas transplant.
• In 1999, 363 pancreas transplants were performed.
• The one-year survival rate is 92 percent; the two-year survival rate is 89 percent; the three-year survival rate is 86 percent; and the four-year survival rate is 84 percent.
• In the United States in 1999, 89 percent of pancreas transplant recipients were white, 5 percent were Black, 2 percent were Hispanic.