How long is the wait for kidney transplant in Texas?
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| Transplant Center | Wait time forecast (months) | Patients on waiting list | 2024 deceased-donor transplants | Learn More |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical City Fort Worth | 22 | 155 | 94 | |
| Parkland Memorial Hospital | 35 | 101 | 37 | |
| University Hospital - St. Paul | 37 | 578 | 180 | |
| Methodist Dallas Medical Center | 46 | 461 | 143 | |
| Univ of Texas Med Branch | 49 | 398 | 78 | |
| Baylor University Medical Center | 51 | 619 | 152 | |
| Memorial Hermann Hospital | 52 | 168 | 12 | |
| Scott and White Mem Hosp | 60 | 326 | 44 | |
| Medical City Dallas Hospital | 61 | 758 | 135 | |
| Baylor All Saints Medical Center | 63 | 281 | 53 | |
| TX Health Harris Meth. Ft Worth Hosp | 63 | 170 | 44 | |
| University Hospital | 70 | 644 | 125 | |
| St Lukes Medical Center | 93 | 801 | 101 | |
| Las Palmas Medical Center | 96 | 262 | 44 | |
| Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center | 118 | 273 | 25 | |
| The Methodist Hospital | 140 | 1776 | 164 | |
| Methodist Specialty & Transplant Hosp | 145 | 1797 | 175 | |
| North Austin Medical Center | 215 | 219 | 23 |
Wait Times:
Flying Private or Commercial?
We’re often asked whether a private jet is necessary to travel from Texas to an out-of-state transplant center. In most cases, it isn’t. Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) is one of the busiest airports in the United States, with frequent nonstop flights to major destinations nationwide. For patients located in South Texas, arranging private air transport can serve as a practical backup option when commercial flight availability is limited.
James from Corpus Christi, faced a 7-10 year wait in South of Texas in 2015. He wrote:
I called over 10 private jet companies and negotiated with them. I needed to go to Des Moines for life-saving transplant on a short notice. The private jet company I hired, flew me on private jet flight to Des Moines in a few hours after the call. They did not bill me. My Medical Insurance covered it fully. James, successfull transplant receipient, Iowa Methodist Medical Center, 2015.
Shared Donor Pool. Different waits
Kidney transplant wait times often remain similar among transplant centers operating within the same Organ Procurement Organization (OPO). However, notable differences can emerge when patient demand significantly outpaces available donor supply. Fort Worth and Baylor All Saints Transplant Centers are located just one block apart. Despite receiving the majority of their donor kidneys from the same source donor pool, their wait times diverge due to differences in waiting list size and historical patient accumulation.
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Why Fort Worth moves faster: it is a newer program (opened 2012). By around 2015, its waiting list reached roughly 100 patients, many of whom were transplanted relatively quickly with a steady donor supply. In the past five years, the transplant center has typically maintained about 100–150 patients on the list and has transplanted over 75% of listed patients.
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Why Baylor All Saints has longer waits: it is a long-established center (opened 2002). Over more than two decades, patient demand has consistently exceeded the available donor supply, leading to a large, accumulated waiting list. In recent years, program’s waiting list has stayed near 900 patients, with only about 25% of listed patients receiving a transplant over time.
Fort Worth vs. Baylor at a glance
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Donor source: LifeGift (TXGC Donor Service Area)
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Donor kidneys/year: ~80 each
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Waiting list size: Fort Worth ~100–150 vs. Baylor ~900
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Patients transplanted over time: Fort Worth ~75% vs. Baylor ~25%
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