in focus
A decade of record heart transplants.

This milestone caps off 10 record-setting years in heart transplant.
In 2021, thousands of people were given an incredible gift, one they carry wherever they go, every day. It’s the gift of life, beating in their chest, an organ donated by a generous donor or donor family.
Last year organ procurement organizations and transplant hospitals worked to perform a record 3,817 heart transplants performed across the country.
Some 2021 heart transplant data highlights:
513 were pediatric heart transplants, up from 413 in 2020
206 donors were DCD donors, nearly double the amount in 2020
159 more transplants were performed in 2021 than 2020
2021 is also the tenth consecutive year where heart transplant numbers have set a new record. Combining the total number of transplants across the past 10 years, there have been 31,238 lifesaving heart transplants performed at hospitals across the country. You can read more about the records broken in 2021 in transplant here.
February is American Heart Month, which aims to raise awareness of the risks of heart disease, and encourage Americans to be physically active, maintain a healthy diet and take other important steps to avoid heart disease. It’s also a time where many people reflect and remember friends or family who have been impacted by heart disease.
You can read Stories of Hope from heart donors, recipients and their families at Transplant Living.
In focus

More than 15,000 liver transplants performed in first two years of acuity circles policy
Two-year monitoring shows many states had volume changes within 10 percent of previous policy.

7,000 organs tracked with UNOS Organ Tracking Service
30% of all OPOs use the UNOS Organ Tracking Service to monitor organs in transit.

7 years of HOPE
Implemented in 2015 , the HIV Organ Policy Equity (HOPE) Act has given more than 350 living with HIV an opportunity to receive a lifesaving transplant from an HIV-positive donor.

Over 5,000 organs tracked with UNOS Organ Tracking Service
26% of all OPOs are now utilizing the UNOS Organ Tracking Service to monitor organs in transit.