Georgetown University Medical Center Kidney Transplant: Wait Times & Patient Data

Infrastructure investments: MedStar Georgetown now operates a specialized organ ICU staffed by organ-preservation specialists. For kidneys, it uses LifePort hypothermic machine-perfusion pumps, allowing kidneys to remain perfused and stable during transportation and storage. MedStar explicitly says the purpose of this infrastructure is to expand the pool of organs that can be transplanted. Together, these capabilities may help the program evaluate and use kidney offers that require more complex preservation and logistics.

MedStar Georgetown investment in organ preservation and transplant capacity resulted in significantly its deceased-donor kidney transplant volume in recent years, rising from 110 transplants in 2018 to 285 in 2024 and 315 in 2025.

Expansion Without Sacrificing Kidney Quality: Despite the rapid expansion, only about 14% of Georgetown's deceased-donor kidney transplants in 2025 were in the highest KDPI range (above 85). KDPI is a 0–100 measure commonly used to describe deceased-donor kidney quality and expected longevity, with lower scores generally associated with longer expected function.

Expanding Its Reach for Deceased-Donor Kidneys/Cold ischemia time: MedStar Georgetown has rapidly expanded its kidney transplant volume while increasingly bringing donor organs to Washington from farther away. In 2022, 28 transplanted organs traveled more than 500 nautical miles to Georgetown; by 2024, that number had increased to 107. At the same time, deceased-donor kidney transplants increased from 145 in 2022 to 285 in 2024. MedStar's organ-preservation infrastructure, including machine perfusion, supports the transportation and preservation of kidneys over longer distances.

National expansion through the Veterans Affairs: The Washington DC VA and Georgetown now have an approved kidney/liver/pancreas transplant partnership. Importantly, veterans can receive much of their pre- and post-transplant care through their local VA system while the transplant occurs at Georgetown. That potentially gives Georgetown a much broader national referral network without requiring every aspect of care to happen in Washington. This is especially encouraging for veterans, who have historically faced limited transplant-center options within the VA system and often encounter kidney transplant wait times of three to five years. The Georgetown partnership gives eligible veterans nationwide access to another high-volume transplant program while allowing much of their care to remain within their local VA system.

MedStar Georgetown’s recent growth shows that transplant volume depends on more than just organ supply. By investing in coordination, organ preservation, transportation, staffing, and actively seeking available organs, centers can create more transplant opportunities. Spain has shown this approach works on a much larger scale. Spain made more changes to its transplant system in 1992 after people protested about long waiting times. In the late 1980s, Spain began improving its organ transplant system by focusing on better coordination, hospital teams, training, and the infrastructure needed to identify and recover more donor organs. These efforts have paid off over the years. Today, Spain is still one of the world’s leading countries for organ donation and transplantation. Despite cuts to healthcare spending and the economic crisis, Spain continues to lead the world in organ donation. This makes the country’s achievement even more impressive.