How long is the wait for kidney transplant in North Carolina?

Kidney transplant wait times in North Carolina vary by transplant center and blood type across 5 centers, ranging from 51 months at Vidant Medical Center to 66 months at Carolinas Medical Center.

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Transplant Center Wait time forecast (months) Patients on waiting list 2024 deceased-donor transplants Learn More
Vidant Medical Center 51 552 81
Insights 35.612661 -77.3663538
Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center 53 827 144
Insights 36.0564654 -80.3324514
UNC Hospitals 56 828 167
Insights 35.9722081 -79.0475559
Duke University Hospital 59 945 152
Insights 36.025609 -78.9853813
Carolinas Medical Center 66 843 121
Insights 35.2146586 -80.8599193
Wait Time:
Insights 41.5993157 -83.6295222

Wait Times:

Less than 2 years
2 to 3 years
Over 3 years
Based on OPTN data as of December 11, 2025.

Wait variance within State

Kidney transplant wait times within North Carolina differ because transplant centers operate independently and accumulate waiting lists at different rates over time. Newer programs typically build smaller waiting lists and may move patients more quickly, while long-established centers often carry larger backlogs that result in longer median waits. As a result, patients listed at different hospitals in the same state can experience very different timelines to transplant.

For example, Vidant Medical Center tends to show shorter kidney transplant wait times compared to many other programs in North Carolina, reflecting a smaller accumulated waiting list and higher recent transplant activity. In contrast, Carolinas Medical Center historically carries a larger waiting list, which is associated with longer median wait times despite serving patients from the same donor region.