Surgical instruments are used during an organ transplant surgery at a hospital in Washington on Tuesday, June 28, 2016. The U.S. counted its millionth organ transplant on Friday, Sept. 9, 2022, a milestone that comes at a critical time for Americans still desperately waiting for that chance at survival.
September 14, 2022
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US counts millionth organ transplant while pushing for more
The U.S. has reached a medical milestone — counting 1 million organ transplants since the first success back in 1954. Advocates marked Friday's announcement with a new campaign to speed the next million by encouraging more donations. The news comes as the nation's transplant system is at a crossroads. More people than ever are getting new organs every year. But more than 100,000 others are awaiting their turn, and critics point to policies and errors that waste organs and cost lives. Changes are underway including steps to improve fair access to kidney transplants.