The National Kidney Registry (NKR) released its 2025 Outcomes Report, revealing improved outcomes for NKR-facilitated transplants. The improved outcomes were driven by precision eplet matching and better matches for sensitized patients. Matching strategies employed by the NKR reduce de novo DSA formation, reduce graft failure, provide an opportunity for lower immunosuppression, and increase the longevity …
PR Tags: Awards & Records
National Kidney Registry Facilitates 10,000th Living Donor Kidney Transplant
The National Kidney Registry (NKR) announced its 10,000th transplant, with 1,744 transplants facilitated in 2024 alone. The NKR facilitated its first transplant in 2008 and reached the 5,000-transplant milestone in June 2021. The NKR is expected to facilitate approximately 30% of all U.S. living donor kidney transplants in 2025. “This is a remarkable milestone and …
National Kidney Registry Breaks Monthly Record for Living Kidney Donation in October, Facilitating 179 Living Donor Kidney Transplants
In collaboration with NKR’s 104 member centers, the National Kidney Registry (NKR) achieved a record-breaking milestone in October, facilitating 179 living donor kidney transplants. This achievement breaks the previous record of 157 transplants, set in July 2024, and underscores the NKR’s ongoing progress in expanding access to well-matched living donor kidney transplants for patients in …
The National Kidney Registry Activates Its 4,000th Microsite: Free Service for Patients Seeking a Living Donor
Today the National Kidney Registry announced the activation of its 4,000th patient microsite. The Microsite Program provides free personalized websites, patient coaching, educational materials, and business cards to people who are seeking a living donor (kidney or liver). To date, over 580 microsite patients have achieved a living donor transplant. “For patients in need of …
National Kidney Registry Facilitates 9,000th Living Donor Kidney Transplant
The National Kidney Registry (NKR) announced the successful completion of its 9,000th living kidney donor transplant, which took place at Hartford Hospital. This milestone represents the most transplants in the world facilitated by a single kidney paired donation registry. The NKR now facilitates 25% of all living donor transplants in the United States, up from …
National Kidney Registry Presents Four Awards to Leaders in the Transplant Community at 2024 Awards Gala
At its 2024 Awards Gala, held June 20 at The Plaza Hotel in New York City to honor kidney donors and the achievements of the American transplant industry, the National Kidney Registry presented four awards to exceptional members of the transplant community: the Terasaki Innovation Award was awarded to Drs. Joe Leventhal and Sandip Kapur, …
Dr. Montgomery Honored with the Prestigious ACS Jacobson Award
The National Kidney Registry (NKR) congratulates Dr. Robert Montgomery on winning the prestigious Jacobson Innovation Award from the American College of Surgeons. The award was presented to Dr. Montgomery on June 14, 2024, at the Chicago History Museum at a dinner in his honor. Dr. Montgomery is the Chair of the NYU Department of Surgery …
The National Kidney Registry Announces Its 500th Microsite Patient Kidney Transplant
Today the National Kidney Registry (NKR) marked the 500th living donor transplant achieved through the Microsite Program. The Microsite Program provides free websites and coaching to transplant patients seeking a living donor to increase their chances of achieving a living donor transplant. “When the Microsite Program was first launched, we hoped it would help patients …
The National Kidney Registry Activates Its 3,000th Microsite: Free Service for Patients Seeking a Living Donor
Today the National Kidney Registry announced the activation of its 3,000th patient microsite. The Microsite Program provides free custom websites, coaching, educational materials, and business cards to people who are seeking a living donor kidney or liver. To date, over 400 microsite patients have achieved a living donor transplant. “With over 500 active microsites, Penn …
National Kidney Registry Facilitates 8,000th Living Donor Kidney Transplant
The National Kidney Registry announced the successful completion of its 8,000th living kidney donor transplant, a zero-eplet mismatch that took place with a donor from Mayo Clinic Rochester and a recipient at Hartford Hospital. This milestone represents the most transplants in the world facilitated by a single kidney paired donation registry. The National Kidney Registry …
National Kidney Registry-Sponsored Athlete Earns Guinness World Record for 50 Summits Effort
David Ashley, a living kidney and liver donor, has just been acknowledged by Guinness World Records for achieving the “fastest time to climb the highest points in all 50 US states.” His accomplishment, which was sponsored by the National Kidney Registry, saw him summit the highest point in all 50 US states in 41 days, …
National Kidney Registry Presents Three Awards to Leaders in the Transplant Community at 2023 Awards Gala
At its 2023 Awards Gala honoring kidney donors and the achievements of the American transplant industry, the National Kidney Registry presented three awards to exceptional members of the transplant community. The Terasaki Innovation Award was awarded to Dr. Jeffrey Veale, the Excellence in Physician Leadership Award was awarded to Dr. Raja Kandaswamy, and a Lifetime …
The National Kidney Registry Announces its 300th Microsite Patient Kidney Transplant
Today the National Kidney Registry (NKR) announced a significant milestone in its ongoing efforts to help kidney patients find a living kidney donor. On June 23, 2023, the NKR marked the 300th kidney transplant achieved through the patient Microsite Program. The 300th transplant took place at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. As of July 7, …
The National Kidney Registry Reaches 2,000 Active Patient Microsites for Kidney Patients Seeking a Living Donor
Today the National Kidney Registry announced the activation of its 2,000th patient microsite. The Microsite Program provides free websites and coaching to transplant patients seeking a living donor. The theory behind the Microsite Program is that if a patient can direct potential donors to a website that effectively tells their story, they will connect with …
National Kidney Registry to Sponsor Kidney Donor Steve Wilson in Ironman World Championship
The National Kidney Registry is thrilled to announce its latest kidney donor athlete sponsorship: Steve Wilson, a living kidney donor who will be competing in the Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, October 6-8, 2022. Steve donated a kidney through the National Kidney Registry’s Family Voucher Program in February 2020 after seeing a Facebook post …
National Kidney Registry Reaches 100 Member Centers: University of California, Davis Becomes the 100th Center
Today the National Kidney Registry (NKR) announced that it has reached the 100 Member Center milestone with the reactivation of the University of California, Davis Transplant Center. The NKR is the world’s largest paired exchange program, facilitating over 1,000 transplants annually for patients who are seeking a better-matched donor and a better transplant outcome. In …
20 Living Kidney Donors Make it to the Top of Africa’s Tallest Mountain on World Kidney Day
Twenty kidney donors reached the top of Mount Kilimanjaro on March 10, World Kidney Day, demonstrating that donating a kidney has no negative impact on a donor’s health and fitness. The story was featured on Good Morning America. To watch the feature, click here. Only 50% of the 30,000 people per year who attempt to …
Twenty-Two Living Kidney Donors Climb Africa’s Tallest Mountain
Twenty-two living kidney donors will reach the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro (altitude 19,341 feet) on March 10—World Kidney Day—and demonstrate that donating a kidney does not negatively affect the health or fitness of living kidney donors. The 22 donors represent the Kidney Donor Athletes (KDA) organization and are supported by the National Kidney Registry (NKR) …
The National Kidney Registry’s 1,000th Patient Microsite Activated
Today the National Kidney Registry announced the activation of its 1,000th patient microsite. The Microsite Program provides free websites to transplant patients seeking a living donor so patients can spread the word of their need for a transplant. Dr. E. Steve Woodle, a liver transplant recipient and Director of Solid Organ Transplantation for University of Cincinnati …
The National Kidney Registry Facilitates 5,000th Kidney Transplant
The National Kidney Registry announced the completion of its 5,000th paired exchange transplant, which took place yesterday at UCLA Medical Center. The UCLA recipient was a standard voucher holder whose donor facilitated an earlier chain of three transplants. The kidney came from a family voucher donor at Mayo Clinic Rochester. Dr. Jeff Veale, Professor and …
The National Kidney Registry’s 50th Low Eplet Mismatch Transplant
The National Kidney Registry announced that yesterday marked the 50th successful low eplet mismatch kidney transplant facilitated through the Kidney for Life (KFL) program. The KFL initiative utilizes the most advanced DNA sequencing technology to break down single bead antigens to the eplet level, opening up potential matches considered incompatible at the single bead level.
The National Kidney Registry’s 500th Patient Microsite Activated
Today the National Kidney Registry announced the activation of its 500th patient microsite. The Microsite Program provides free websites and hosting services for transplant patients seeking a living donor. Dr. Sandip Kapur, the Surgical Director of Weil Cornell kidney transplant program conceived of the idea as a way for transplant centers to help patients who …
Guinness World Record Organization Distinguishes the National Kidney Registry for World’s Longest Kidney Transplant Chain
Guinness World Records officially recognized the National Kidney Registry (NKR) for the longest kidney transplant chain in the world. This massive chain was supported by the combined efforts of 25 transplant centers, it included 70 surgeries, facilitated 35 transplants and was featured on ABC News’s Nightline. Kathy Hart, a Good Samaritan donor, started Chain 357, …
National Kidney Registry Presented with the AST Innovation Award
Today the National Kidney Registry was presented with the 2019 American Society of Transplantation Innovation Award at the Cutting Edge of Transplantation Summit in Phoenix, Arizona. The AST Innovation Award was created to showcase a project or program that exemplifies the spirit of innovation on which organ transplantation was founded. The National Kidney Registry has …
National Kidney Registry Facilitates 3,000th KPD Transplant
The National Kidney Registry announced the successful completion of its 3,000th paired exchange transplant, which took place today at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. This milestone represents the most transplants in the world facilitated by a single Kidney Paired Donation (KPD) registry. Garet Hil, Founder and CEO of the National Kidney Registry and a kidney …
National Kidney Registry 2018 Award Winners
The National Kidney Registry announced its 2018 Award Winners at its Gala dinner hosted at the Rainbow Room in New York City. The Terasaki Medical Innovation Award is given to an individual or organization that has invented, developed or created breakthrough technologies in transplantation. The 2018 winner was the UCSF Medical Center for successfully completing …
National Kidney Registry Facilitates 2,000th KPD Transplant
The National Kidney Registry announced the successful completion of its 2,000th paired exchange transplant, which took place last night at UCLA Medical Center. This milestone represents the most paired exchange transplants facilitated by a single registry and represents over a billion dollars in dialysis savings to the U.S government and approximately $300 million in savings …
National Kidney Registry Facilitates World Record 50 KPD Transplants in a Single Month
The National Kidney Registry announced a record-breaking month, in which it facilitated 50 paired exchange transplants. The record breaks the former record of 46, set by the National Kidney Registry in December 2015. Garet Hil, President and CEO of the National Kidney Registry, attributes the higher volume to centers contributing more pairs to the national …
Surgical First: Patient Avoids Dialysis Thanks to Simultaneous Polycystic Kidney Removal and Kidney Transplant in 28-Person Kidney Swap
In a first-of-its-kind procedure in the United States, a patient with polycystic kidney disease was able to avoid dialysis when surgeons simultaneously removed two diseased kidneys and also transplanted a kidney from a living donor—all as part of a 28-person paired kidney exchange.
National Kidney Registry Facilitates 1,000th Transplant
The National Kidney Registry announced the successful completion of its 1,000th paired exchange transplant, making it the first program in the world to complete 1,000 kidney exchange transplants. The 1,000th transplant, completed today at the University of Cincinnati, is part of a chain of 10 transplants. These transplants are taking place at other centers across …