Albany Medical Center Hospital Kidney Transplant: Wait Times & Patient Data

Albany's deceased-donor transplant volume has declined from its earlier levels and remains relatively low compared with the size of its waiting list. Under the old pre-2021 allocation system, Albany had a particularly valuable position: most of its kidneys were coming from its local Donation Service Area (DSA). In fact, its local Donation Service Area had a very productive 2019–2020, and Albany was one of the principal beneficiaries, with deceased-donor transplant volume spiking to 70 in those 2 years. On March 15, 2021, kidney allocation stopped relying on the old Donation Service Area and regional boundaries and moved to a framework using a 250-nautical-mile circle around the donor hospital, with proximity points affecting allocation priority. As a result, Albany's transplant volume dropped sharply in 2021.

Albany appears to be pursuing expansion and is recruiting additional transplant specialists. The effort suggests a willingness to strengthen the program despite a more challenging geographic allocation environment. If Albany can expand its expertise and make effective use of the kidneys now available under the broader allocation system, it may improve transplant activity without relying on the level of local organ access it had in the past. Albany has also recently introduced robotic donor nephrectomy for living donors. While this technology does not directly increase deceased-donor kidney availability, it shows continued investment in the transplant program. Whether these efforts translate into more kidney transplants remains to be seen.

Until that improvement appears in actual transplant activity other programs in the area are worth exploring.