Cedars-Sinai Medical Center reported a record number of solid organ transplants in 2025, with a total of 677 procedures performed by the Cedars-Sinai Comprehensive Transplant Center and the Smidt Heart Institute. The institution set new records for liver and lung transplants during the year.
Irene Kim, MD, director of the Cedars-Sinai Comprehensive Transplant Center, attributed part of the increase in liver transplants to machine perfusion technology. This method circulates oxygen-rich and nutrient-rich solutions through donor organs before transplantation, which extends organ viability and improves assessment before surgery. According to Kim, these advances have helped increase the availability of donor organs.
Kim also noted that Cedars-Sinai’s willingness to accept complex cases contributed to higher numbers of lung transplants. “We are committed to staying on the leading edge of transplant technology to ensure the best results for our patients, with survival outcomes that continue to meet or exceed the national average,” Kim said. “The more organs we can transplant, the more patients can receive a second chance at life. It’s a privilege to not only help these patients, but also to honor the donors who gave the ultimate gift of life.”
Data from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) showed that 49,065 organ transplants were performed in the United States in 2025—the highest annual total recorded so far. OPTN has set a goal of reaching 60,000 deceased donor transplants per year by 2026.
The Department of Cardiac Surgery at Cedars-Sinai’s Smidt Heart Institute continued as California’s largest heart transplant center by volume, performing 114 adult heart transplants in 2025. Led by Joanna Chikwe, MD; Fardad Esmailian, MD; and Jon Kobashigawa, MD; this team has averaged over 100 heart transplants annually for thirteen consecutive years—a current national record.
For lung transplantation, surgical director Dominick Megna, MD, and medical director Reinaldo Rampolla, MD oversaw a record-breaking 93 procedures in 2025—surpassing their previous high from 2024. The program remains California’s largest by volume and was ranked among the top ten centers nationally for lung transplantation last year.
The Liver Transplant Program achieved its own milestone under Kim and Alexander Kuo, MD—performing 145 liver transplants in 2025 compared with its previous record of 136 set in 2024.
Cedars-Sinai’s Kidney Transplant Program completed 324 kidney transplants last year—including one pancreas-kidney procedure—with Stanley Jordan, MD and Tsuyoshi Todo, MD overseeing operations. Notably, there were also a record-setting 80 living donor kidney transplants—a more than fifteen percent increase over their prior high from 2013. Steven Wisel, MD and Reiad Najjar, MD lead this now fully robotic surgical program.
“These achievements are a testament to the hardworking team at the Cedars-Sinai Comprehensive Transplant Center,” said Kim. “But none of these lifesaving procedures would be possible without the altruism of organ donors and their families. We are tremendously grateful to those who give the gift of life through organ donation.”
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is located in Los Angeles and was established in 1902. Thomas M. Priselac serves as its current president. In addition to being a training hospital with pediatric services available on site, it admitted over fifty thousand patients for treatment according to its most recent annual report.
More information is available from Cedars-Sinai Stories.
