Cleveland, Ohio.- In 2024, Cleveland Clinic performed 1,357 organ transplants, representing a 9.8% increase over the number of heart, intestinal, kidney, liver, lung, and pancreas transplants performed in 2023.
“We want to thank the donors and their families for their gifts of life,” said Charles Miller, MD, Cleveland Clinic’s chief transplant officer.
“These new achievements reflect our dedication to saving more lives. Our global team of healthcare professionals is committed to providing the highest standards of care, based on our core values of quality, teamwork, and innovation.”
Cleveland Clinic performs transplant operations at its main campus in Cleveland Clinic, Ohio, Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital, Florida, and Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Transplants performed in 2024
- At Cleveland Clinic's main campus, 851 organs were transplanted.
- At Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital, 265 organs were transplanted.
- And at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, organ transplants totaled 241.
Mechanical perfusion makes it possible to perform more transplants
In Florida and Ohio, more transplants were possible in 2024 thanks to the use of mechanical normothermic perfusion, which preserves the donor organ in a warm, oxygen- and nutrient-rich environment.
This technology allows more donated organs to be safely evaluated and preserved, resulting in a greater number of usable organs and less time for patients to wait for a life-saving transplant.
In 2024, the Cleveland Clinic liver transplant team published research demonstrating a significant reduction in wait times thanks to this new technology.
Currently, mechanical perfusion is used for heart, kidney, liver, and lung transplants, while robotic and laparoscopic surgery are used for living organ donation.
Last year, the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi kidney transplant team, in collaboration with colleagues at Cleveland Clinic in the U.S., performed its first simultaneous robotic kidney transplant procedure between a living donor and recipient.
At Cleveland Clinic's main campus, all living donor liver transplant surgeries were performed laparoscopically, allowing the donor the benefits of minimally invasive surgery.
Increasing multiple organ transplants to save more lives
Cleveland Clinic patients often have complex medical cases. For some, treatment may include multiple organ transplant surgeries. In 2024, the Cleveland Clinic global transplant team completed 78 multiple organ transplants, representing a 50% increase compared to 2023.
Milestones achieved in 2024 include the successful completion of the first combined heart and double lung transplant performed at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi to treat a patient in the United Arab Emirates.
The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) announced historic records for organ transplants in 2024.
About Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit, multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education.
Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with the vision of providing exceptional patient care based on the principles of cooperation, compassion, and innovation.
Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical advances, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. U.S. News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic one of the best hospitals in the country in its annual "America's Best Hospitals" survey.
Cleveland Clinic's 81,000 employees worldwide include more than 5,743 salaried physicians and researchers, and 20,160 registered nurses and advanced practice providers, representing 140 medical specialties and subspecialties.
Cleveland Clinic is a 6,690-bed health system that includes a 173-acre main campus near downtown Cleveland, 23 hospitals, more than 276 outpatient facilities, and locations in Southeast Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; Toronto, Canada; Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; and London, England.
In 2023, there were a total of 13.7 million outpatient visits, 323,000 hospital admissions and observations, and 301,000 surgical cases across the Cleveland Clinic health system. Patients came for treatment from every state and 132 countries.
