The Cleveland Clinic Foundation Kidney Transplant: Wait Times & Patient Data

The Cleveland Clinic Foundation and Ohio State University are Ohio's two largest transplant centers. Cleveland Clinic operates on a much larger scale than than neighbouring University Hospital of Cleveland Clinic, performing roughly 300 deceased-donor kidney transplants annually. However, it also attracts far more candidates: more than 600 new patients were added to its kidney waiting list during the most recent SRTR reporting period. Its enormous transplant capacity therefore comes with substantially greater demand.

Cleveland Clinic is a strong option for highly sensitized patients. Even though patients with cPRA of 80–100% get higher priority for transplants, it can still be hard to find a match because many donor kidneys are not compatible. Cleveland Clinic runs one of the largest deceased-donor kidney transplant programs, with 304 transplants in 2024 and 284 in 2025. This high volume gives patients access to a wider variety of donor kidneys, increasing the chances of finding a compatible match for those with high antibody levels. In 2024 and 2025, the clinic performed 60 transplants for patients with cPRA 80–100%, including 25 for those in the especially hard-to-match cPRA 98–100% group. On the current waiting list as of October 2026, 21 active candidates have cPRA 98–100%. Of these, 15 have waited less than three years, and six have waited three years or more. Overall, the clinic’s high transplant numbers, access to a diverse range of donor kidneys, recent success with highly sensitized patients, and a relatively small group of long-waiting highly sensitized candidates make Cleveland Clinic a good choice for patients with very high cPRA.

In 2024 and 2025, the clinic performed 60 transplants for patients with cPRA 80–100%, including 25 for those in the especially hard-to-match cPRA 98–100% group. On the current waiting list as of October 2026, 21 active candidates have cPRA 98–100%. Of these, 15 have waited less than three years, and six have waited three years or more. Overall, the clinic’s high transplant numbers, access to a diverse range of donor kidneys, recent success with highly sensitized patients, and a relatively small group of long-waiting highly sensitized candidates make Cleveland Clinic a good choice for patients with very high cPRA.