The Challenge

These include an insufficient supply of donor organs, leading to longer wait times and more risk. At any given time, over 100,000 people are waiting for a transplant nationally, and an average of 17 people on the waitlist die every day. For those that receive a donor organ, post-transplant complications are com- mon, and immunosuppressant drugs often cause serious side effects. Median survival of transplanted organs across all types is 13 years, with some having average life spans of just five years. 

Our challenge is to increase the number of transplantable organs, reduce post- transplant complications, and prevent organ rejection so that each person who needs a transplant can get one and enjoy a longer and more active life.

Why Duke?

Duke Transplant is one of the largest, most innovative, and most successful centers in the world.

We are pioneering new approaches and innovative techniques to expand the organ donor pool and improve outcomes. Our comprehensive, individualized care begins before waitlisting and extends after surgery — for life. 

Duke is home to one of the nation’s most comprehensive transplant centers, with nationally recognized programs in kidney, liver, lung, pancreas, intestine, and multi-organ transplantation that consistently achieves outstanding outcomes for patients, even those with the most complex needs. We also take great pride in our pediatric programs — combined, they are the largest in our region — as well as our vascular composite allograft (hand transplant) program. 

Nationally, our programs have among the most diverse waitlisted patient populations, offer some of the shortest average wait times, and provide the highest level of care and education to patients and their loved ones.

At Duke, we are working every day to improve patient outcomes by:

• improving the durability and longevity of donor organs.
• making less-than-perfect organs transplantable.
• training the immune system to protect rather than attack transplanted organs.
• increasing access to transplants for children and adolescents.

In June 2022, Duke Transplant performed its 10,000th transplant — a milestone that only 18 centers in the U.S. have achieved. We perform the most complicated, rarest, and most difficult transplant surgeries, while working to make as many donor organs available as possible.

Among our recent notable advances in care and research:

• Duke researchers are expanding access to lifesaving care and improving outcomes by advancing the use of machine perfusion and organ rehabilitation technologies that make it possible to assess, preserve, and even enhance donated organs before they reach patients.
• Duke has extensive experience with lung transplantation in people 65 years of age and older and a median wait of about 15 days compared with 64 days nationwide.
• Duke is leading research to understand the effects of social determinants on transplant access and care and reduce health disparities to make transplant more equitable. 
• Duke surgeons performed the Southeast’s first living liver transplant between an HIV-positive donor and recipient.

The Opportunity

Duke is advancing transplant science and improving outcomes. We are working to increase the supply of donor organs by developing new ways to preserve organs longer and upgrading the organ procurement process. We are exploring innovative means to overcome immune system rejection and enhance tolerance. And we are leading efforts to modify and repair organs, sidestepping the need for transplant.

With your help, we will build on these advances to improve outcomes and quality of life for all organ transplant recipients.

You Can Make a Difference

Philanthropic partners are essential to our success. Every expendable, endowed, or planned gift makes a difference. You can help Duke Transplant change lives by:

Investing in Transplant Leaders

An endowment of $1,000,000 to $4,000,000 will create lasting support for trainees and faculty, helping us attract great physicians and scientists and provide them with the resources necessary to innovate and lead.

Funding the Future of Research

Your gift of $100,000 or more for innovative research will help Duke Transplant pioneer new approaches to improve the lives of transplant patients.

Supporting Patients and Removing Barriers to Care

Your gift of $100,000 or more will help address the needs of our patients and their families, supporting better health outcomes and improved quality of life.

Advancing Technology for Patient Care

Your gift of $100,000 or more will expand the use of advanced technology and equipment to ensure delivery of the most innovative care.