Kidney Transplant Program

Experts at the Kidney Transplant Program at the NYU Langone Transplant Institute provide world-class care with superior outcomes to people in need of a kidney transplant. We are the highest-volume program in New York State for kidneys from both deceased and from living donors.

No. 1 Kidney Transplant Program in the Country

In New York City, we take the fewest months to transplant and have the highest deceased donor transplant rate. Our one-year organ and patient survival rate is 100 percent for living donors, and we exceed the expected one-year graft and patient survival rate for people who receive a kidney from a deceased donor.

Our modern facilities include state-of-the-art testing sites, dedicated inpatient surgical and intensive care units, outpatient physician offices, and single-occupancy rooms for all patients.

We conduct kidney transplant evaluations and provide pre- and post-transplant outpatient care at our Manhattan location, on Long Island at NYU Langone Surgical Associates—1300 Franklin Avenue, and in Brooklyn at 9920 Fourth Avenue, Suite 320.

We provide care for children at the Pediatric Kidney Transplant Program through Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone.

When a Kidney Transplant Is Needed

People are born with two kidneys, one on each side of the spine. Kidneys are responsible for filtering blood and removing excess fluid and waste products from the body, which then leave the body as urine.

The kidneys also regulate blood pressure, ensure electrolyte and acid–base balance, and aid in the production of new bone tissue and red blood cells.

When kidney function is impaired, as in acute kidney injury or chronic kidney disease, the kidney can no longer perform these activities. This puts a person at risk for medical complications that can include high blood pressure, swelling, life-threatening electrolyte imbalances, anemia, and bone loss. Kidney disease may progress to the point where dialysis, a treatment that uses a machine to remove fluid and waste from the blood, is needed. While on dialysis or even before dialysis is started, your doctor may recommend a transplant.

While you wait for a donor kidney, you have regular appointments at our transplant clinic with our doctors, who collaborate with your referring physician to ensure continuity in your medical care.

Forms of Kidney Transplant

Kidney donations come from either living donors, who consent to the donation, or from deceased persons, whose families consent to donate the person’s organs. Deceased donors are the most common source of kidneys for transplant.

In either situation, the organ is removed from the donor and placed into the recipient by our team of highly skilled transplant specialists. Our medical team supervises the recovery of living donors to ensure they can quickly return to an active lifestyle.

After transplant, all patients are followed closely in our outpatient transplant clinic.