Which Transplant Has the Highest Success Rate? An In-Depth Look

September 22, 2025 •

5 min read

According to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN), over 48,000 organ transplants were performed in the U.S. in 2024, yet success varies significantly by organ. Patients often wonder which transplant has the highest success rate to better understand their prognosis and the procedure's potential for a long and healthy life.

Quick Summary

Kidney transplants generally have the highest success rates, especially when sourced from living donors, offering significantly longer mean survival times than other organs. This success is influenced by factors including donor type, recipient health, and advances in immunosuppressive therapy, all contributing to superior long-term outcomes.

Key Points

Kidney Transplants Lead: Kidney transplants, especially from living donors, boast the highest long-term survival rates among major organ transplants.
Living Donors Boost Success: Using a kidney or partial liver from a living donor typically results in higher success rates due to better organ quality and matching.
Success is Multifaceted: Evaluating transplant success involves looking at multiple metrics, including one-year patient survival, long-term survival, and graft longevity.
Immunosuppression is Key: Lifelong immunosuppressant medication is critical for preventing organ rejection and maintaining graft survival, though it comes with risks.
Many Factors Influence Outcomes: Beyond organ type, success is heavily impacted by the recipient's overall health, donor and recipient compatibility, and the expertise of the transplant center.
Other Transplants Have High Success: Heart and liver transplants also have excellent survival rates, representing significant medical achievements for patients with end-stage organ failure.

Kidney Transplants: The Leader in Long-Term Success

When evaluating which transplant has the highest success rate, the answer consistently points to kidney transplants, particularly those from living donors. The success of a kidney transplant can be measured in several ways, including one-year patient survival, graft survival (the lifespan of the transplanted organ), and overall mean survival. Data from a 2022 study showed mean survival following a kidney transplant at over 22 years in the U.S., a figure substantially higher than for other organs. This outstanding performance is often attributed to several key factors:

Superior Donor Source: Kidneys from living donors offer the best outcomes due to reduced cold and warm ischemia times, allowing for better tissue matching and a scheduled surgery. Graft survival rates for living donor kidneys are exceptionally high, with close to 96% of grafts functioning well after one year.
Availability of Alternatives: If a kidney graft fails, the patient can return to dialysis, a safety net that is not available for other vital organs. This allows for a more relaxed approach to initial transplantation and the possibility of re-transplantation if needed.
Continual Advances: Improvements in surgical techniques, better immunosuppressive medications, and more precise patient-matching protocols have continued to push success rates upwards.

The Success of Other Major Organ Transplants

While kidney transplants lead the statistics, other solid organ transplants have also seen significant advancements, offering life-saving options with high success rates. The data from various registries provides a clear picture of relative success.

Heart Transplants

Heart transplantation is a life-saving procedure for patients with end-stage heart failure. While the long-term survival isn't as long as a kidney transplant, the success rates are remarkably high, especially in the short term. One-year survival rates for heart transplants are around 90%, and median survival is over 12 years. These rates reflect significant progress in addressing a condition that otherwise has a very poor prognosis. The primary challenge with heart transplants remains the limited number of suitable donors.

Liver Transplants

Liver transplants have a solid track record, particularly for pediatric recipients, who can see survival exceeding 25 years. For adults, one-year survival rates can exceed 90%, with median survival times reaching over 11 years with cadaveric donors. The success of liver transplantation depends heavily on factors like the timing of the transplant and the severity of the patient's liver disease. The liver also has a unique ability to regenerate, which can contribute to the positive outcomes seen in living-donor partial liver transplants.

Factors Influencing All Transplant Outcomes

It is crucial to recognize that success is not solely determined by the organ type. Numerous factors play a critical role in the outcome of any transplant procedure. Understanding these can help manage expectations and optimize post-transplant care.

Donor Source: Living donors generally result in better outcomes for kidneys and partial livers due to better organ quality, less ischemia time, and the ability to schedule the surgery. Deceased donor organs are also highly successful but come with slightly higher risks and longer wait times.
Immunosuppression and Rejection: Organ rejection is a significant risk for all transplants. The body's immune system recognizes the new organ as foreign and attacks it. The management of this risk through lifelong immunosuppressant medication is critical for preventing graft failure.
Recipient Health and Demographics: The age, overall health, and presence of other comorbidities in the recipient all impact success rates. Younger, healthier recipients generally experience better outcomes. Race and genetic compatibility (HLA matching) also play a role, particularly in kidney transplantation.
Center Volume and Expertise: High-volume transplant centers with specialized teams often report higher success rates due to greater experience and standardized care protocols.

A Comparison of Transplant Outcomes


Transplant Type	One-Year Survival	Mean/Median Survival	Key Factors	Risks	Organ Supply	Graft Survival	Source	Organ Type
Kidney (Living Donor)	98%+	20+ years	Superior donor quality, reduced ischemia time, best tissue match	Infection, surgical complications	Higher due to living donation option	Higher graft survival rates	Mayo Clinic, USRDS	Solid Organ
Kidney (Deceased Donor)	92%+	10-15 years	Organ quality can vary, longer wait time	Rejection, infection, delayed function	High demand, limited supply	Lower than living donor	USRDS, NCBI	Solid Organ
Heart	85-90%+	12+ years (median)	Donor heart quality, recipient condition	Rejection, infection, limited donors	Very limited supply	Good, but rejection is key risk	ISHLT, Newark Beth Israel	Solid Organ
Liver	90%+	11+ years (cadaveric)	Recipient disease severity, timing	Rejection, infection, recurrence of disease	High demand, limited supply	Good, especially for pediatric patients	Ohio State Medical Center, NIH	Solid Organ
Bone Marrow (Autologous)	90-95%	Varies greatly	Patient's own stem cells used	Chemotherapy side effects, infection	Not applicable (autologous)	Not applicable (cells)	MedicineNet	Stem Cells
Bone Marrow (Allogeneic)	70-80%	Varies greatly	HLA matching, donor health	Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD)	Depends on national registry	N/A (cells)	MedicineNet, Moffitt	Stem Cells

Managing Post-Transplant Challenges

Post-transplant care is a lifelong commitment that is critical to maintaining a successful outcome. Patients must diligently adhere to their medication regimen, as non-compliance is one of the leading causes of late rejection and graft loss.

Immunosuppressant drugs, while necessary, carry their own set of risks. Side effects can include an increased risk of infections, weight gain, high blood pressure, and even some cancers. Managing these side effects requires a close and ongoing relationship with the transplant team, including pharmacists, nurses, and specialists. The goal is to find the right balance—suppressing the immune system enough to prevent rejection while minimizing adverse effects.

For more in-depth information on managing the risks and benefits associated with organ transplantation, you can visit the Mayo Clinic's website on living donor transplants.

Conclusion

While the answer to which transplant has the highest success rate is kidney transplantation, particularly from living donors, it is important to remember that success is measured on an individual basis. All organ transplants carry risks, but advancements in medicine have made them life-saving options for thousands of people every year. The ultimate outcome depends on a combination of factors, including the type of organ, the donor source, the patient's overall health, and meticulous post-operative care. By understanding these complexities, patients and their families can be better prepared for the transplant journey.

Frequently Asked Questions

Living donor kidney transplants have a higher success rate primarily because the organ is often healthier, the surgery can be scheduled at an optimal time, and there is a better chance for a more precise tissue match. This reduces the risk of rejection and minimizes the organ's time without blood flow.

Transplant success is typically measured by several factors, including one-year patient survival, five-year survival, and the long-term survival of the transplanted organ (graft survival). Success is also judged by the patient's improved quality of life and reduced reliance on pre-transplant therapies like dialysis.

Major risks include organ rejection, infection due to weakened immune systems from anti-rejection medication, surgical complications like bleeding, and potential side effects from immunosuppressant drugs. The specific risks vary depending on the organ being transplanted.

Yes, a recipient's age can significantly influence transplant success. Younger, healthier recipients generally have better outcomes. However, advances in medicine have made transplantation safer and more accessible for older patients as well, though with potentially different risk profiles.

Yes, an organ transplant can fail due to complications like rejection or disease recurrence. If a kidney transplant fails, the patient can often return to dialysis while awaiting a potential re-transplant. For other organs, failure is more critical and can lead to re-transplantation or, if not possible, a significantly shortened lifespan.

Immunosuppressants are vital for preventing the body's immune system from attacking and destroying the new organ. By suppressing the immune response, they increase graft survival and patient health. However, they must be taken for the rest of the patient's life and can have significant side effects.

Yes. Modern medicine, including advanced immunosuppression and donor matching techniques, allows for successful transplants even without a perfect match. However, better matching, such as with HLA markers, can significantly reduce the risk of rejection and improve long-term outcomes.