In 2023, Cleveland Clinic performed 1,232 organ transplants, a 17% increase from the previous year. The transplants, which included heart, intestine, kidney, liver, lung, and pancreas, were from both deceased and living donors. These operations took place at Cleveland Clinic’s transplant sites in Cleveland, Ohio; Weston Hospital in Florida; and Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. The rise in transplants was due to new methods, teamwork, and new technology for preserving and assessing donor organs.
The liver transplant programs in Ohio and Florida used a technology called normothermic machine perfusion. This technology maintains the donor organ in a warm, oxygen-and nutrient-rich environment, allowing more organs to be assessed and preserved. This led to more organs being available and a reduction in waiting time for patients needing a transplant. Cleveland Clinic’s Organ Repair Centers in Ohio and Florida also contributed by assessing the viability of donated organs before transplantation.