Facts about transplants

A proud record in organ donations in Ireland

There are forty donating hospitals and three transplant centres in Ireland, which are:

• St.Vincent’s Hospital – liver & pancreas

• The Mater Hospital – heart and lung

• Beaumont Hospital – kidney

  
  

  Transplant Statistics 2023

  
  
  In 2023 a total of 282 transplants took place in Ireland from 95 deceased and 30 living donors
  
  
  191 kidney transplants 
  54 liver transplants
  24 lung transplants
   7 heart transplants
        6 pancreas transplants
  
  
  
  

  https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/news/media/pressrel/282%C2%A0organ-transplants-took-place-in-2023.html
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Transplant Statistics 2022

  
  

  250 organ transplants took place during 2022 thanks to the selflessness of 86 deceased and 33 living organ donors and their families. 

  
  

  163 kidney (including 33 from living donors)

  51 liver

  18 lung

  10 heart

  8 pancreas

  
  

  https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/news/media/pressrel/organ-donation-end-of-year-statement-2022.html

  
  
  
  
  
  
  Transplant Statistics during 2021
  
  
  In 2021 a total of 203 transplants took place across the three transplant centres - 
  
  
  137 kidney (including 35 from living donors)
  34 liver
  20 lung
  10 heart
  2 pancreas
  
  
  (Link to IKA appraisal of organ donation during 2021)
  
  
  https://ika.ie/2021/12/ika-appraisal-of-end-of-year-figures-for-organ-donation-and-transplantation/
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Transplant Statistics 2020
  
  
  In 2020, despite the impact of the Covid 19 Pandemic, the transplant programmes remained active.
                            
                               62 deceased donors and 28 living donors
  
  
  Total transplants 190
  
  
  Kidney - 120 
  Liver - 37
  Heart - 9
  Lung - 16
  Pancreas - 2
  SPK (Simultaneous kidney & pancreas) 6
  
  
  
  
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  Transplant Statistics 2019
  
  
  
  
  249 transplants in total
  
  
  Kidneys 153  - (25 living/128 deceased)
  Liver - 66
  Heart - 15
  Lungs - 38
  Pancreas - 2
  
  
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  Organ Donation & Transplant Statistics 2018
  
  
  2018 showed a decrease in donations compared to 2017.
  
  
  A total of 231 transplants were completed from 80 donors:   
  
  
   120 kidneys;  
   18 hearts;   
  27 lungs; 
    56 livers and 5 pancreas. 
    37 living kidney transplantations were also carried out.  
   The number of transplants completed in 2017 was 308.
  
  

  https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/news/media/pressrel/hse-odti-records-another-strong-year-for-organ-donation-and-transplant-surgery-in-ireland.html

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  Organ Donation & Transplantation in 2017
  
  
  There was a record number of transplants carried out in Ireland in 2017 - 308 up from 280 in 2016.
  
  
  *  190 kidney transplants at Beaumont Hospital
  
  
          *        36 lung transplants at the Mater Hospital;
  
  
          *        16 heart transplants at the Mater Hospital;
  
  
          *        61 liver transplants at St. Vincent's Hospital;
  
  
          *         5 pancreas transplants at St. Vincent's Hospital 
  
  
  See full report on:
   http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/news/media/pressrel/record-numbers-of-organ-donors-and-transplants-in-2017.html
  
  
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  Transplant Statistics in Ireland in 2016
  
  
  Overall, 280 organ transplants were carried out during 2016.  This marks the second highest yearly performance achieved, with an average rate of 23 transplants per month.
  
  
          • 172 kidney transplants at National Renal Transplant service, Beaumont 

                  Hospital;

  • 58 liver transplants at National Liver transplant service, St Vincent’s 

                  University Hospital;

  • 35 lung transplants and 15 heart transplants at the National Heart lung 

                  transplant service at the Mater University Hospital.

  
  

                  
The performance of the three Hospitals in 2016 is in line with the positive

                  trends on transplant rates of recent years.

               

  
  

                  (see Minister's statement at opening of new ODTI headquarters on: 

  http://www.organdonation.ie/news/3-events/229-donationtransplant-statistics-for-2016.html)

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Organ Donation & Transplantation in 2015

There was an increase in organ donation in 2015 with 81 deceased donors compared to 63 in 2014. Total number of transplants was 266 up six on the 2014 figures, but substantially below the record number of 294 in 2013.

Transplanted from deceased donors -   
kidneys - 120
Liver - 61
Heart - 16
Lungs - 36
Pancreas - 0
Transplanted from living kidney donors - 33

See also report for 2015 published by Organ Donation & Transplant Ireland

http://www.hse.ie/eng/about/Who/organdonation/publications/odtiannualreport15.pdf

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Figures for 2014 issued by ODTI, the office of the HSE responsible for organ donation and transplantation in Ireland, showed a decrease in organ donation and transplantation with 251 in 2014 compared with 294 in 2013.

63 deceased donors     

40 live kidney donors      

112 kidney transplants            

18 heart transplants      

           31 lung transplants                

44 liver transplants         

6 pancreas transplants     

650 people on transplant waiting list

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2013 was a record year for organ donations and transplantations with 18 more transplants performed than in the previous record year of 2012. In 2013, 86 deceased donors saved 245 lives and there were 38 kidney transplants through the Living Donor Programme.

The Mater Hospital doubled the number of lung transplants from 14 - 32.

At Beaumont Hospital there were 195 kidney transplants performed, 38 of which were from living donors.

There were 11 heart transplants at the Mater Hospital and 55 liver transplants at St. Vincent's Hospital.

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The following statistics relate to the period since the first recorded kidney transplant in Ireland in December 1963 to the end of 2012.

Total number of deceased solid organ donors recorded in Ireland 1964 =  2,272

Total number of transplants performed in Ireland since 1964                 =  5,183

(broken down as follows)

Kidney transplants since 1964         3,918

Heart transplants since 1985               296

Pancreas transplants since 1992        126

Liver transplants since 1993               790

Lung transplants since 2005                 53

In 2012 the total number of donors was 78 deceased and 32 live donors. There were 239 solid organ transplants performed:  163 kidney;  50 liver;  14 lung; 10 heart;  2 pancreas.

Total number of patients on the Transplant List in December 2012 was 563, 35 more people than at the end of the previous year.

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2011 was a landmark year for organ donation in Ireland. There were 93 deceased organ donors, which allowed 248 organ transplants to be carried out. Last year surpassed the previous record of 91 deceased donors which was set in 1998, in comparison to 58 deceased donors in 2010.

Of the organs transplanted, 165 kidneys;  61 liver;  6 heart;  8 Lungs;  8 pancreas.

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In 2008, the Mater Hospital conducted 4 heart transplant operations (three less than in 2007).  4 lung transplants took place at the Mater Hospital last year, the same amount as in 2007.  A further 6 lung transplants were conducted in the UK on behalf of Irish patients in 2008.

St. Vincent's University Hospital conducted 58 liver transplants in 2008 and has maintained a very high level of transplantation in recent years (182 in the past three years).

In 2008, there were 136 deceased donor kidney transplants performed at Beaumont Hospital and a record 12 of these transplants also included simultaneous transplant of a pancreas.  Ten extra kidney transplants were conducted via living donors making an overall total of 146 kidney transplants in Ireland in 2008, the same amount as in 2006 and 2007.

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In 2007, the following number of transplants took place:     59 liver transplants:   4 lung transplants:     7 heart transplants:   146 kidney transplants (5 of which were via living donors):      5 pancreas transplants

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In 2006, the Mater Hospital performed its first double lung transplant and one year later, the first Cystic Fibrosis lung transplant was performed there. In 2007, St. Vincent’s Hospital carried out its 500th liver transplant.

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There are currently 650 patients awaiting transplantation in Ireland. One donor can potentially help nine other people. In recent years there was on average 80 donations in Ireland a year resulting in approximately 250 transplants being performed.

All organ donations in Ireland are coordinated through the Irish Organ Procurement Office at Beaumont Hospital. Strict ethical guidelines protect the interests of organ donors, their families and transplant recipients, and anonymity is maintained regarding the identity of the donor and recipients.

If you wish to become an organ donor after your death you should inform your next-of-kin of your intentions. In Ireland, consent is never presumed, even if a donor card has been signed. Your next-of-kin would always be consulted and asked for consent in order for donation to proceed.

The majority of the world’s religions support organ donation.

Read details of the world's history of organ donation and transplantation:

http://www.donatelifeny.org/all-about-transplantation/organ-transplant-history/

Check out our links page for web sites with additional information on organ transplants.