How common are living-donor kidney transplants?

Kidney donation is the most frequent living-donor procedure. They have been taking place since 1954: Dr. Joseph Murray performed the world’s first successful living-donor transplant in Boston, for which he later received a Nobel Prize. As of March, 2012, nearly 17,000 living-donor transplants had been performed in the U.S.²  Worldwide, transplants^Thave been performed in^Tat least 94 countries, including Iran, Mexico, Saudi-Arabia, and Iceland. A study published^Tin 2009 reports that over the past ten years, nearly 2/3 of the²countries reporting had an increase^Tof at least 50% in²living-donor kidney transplants.³       

² _{Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network}   ³ PubMed.gov

                                               The Herrick twins, Ronald and Richard, recipient                                                                                           and donor of the first successful organ transplant,                                                                                         are pictured here with their physicians in 1954.  

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