Tri-State Patients Wait 40 Percent Less Time for New Organs at Northwell
Data from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients shows the institute leads the region in survival rates and speed of organ access.
By Julia Wang ·
Heart transplant patients at Northwell Health reached surgery after a median wait of 1.5 months, a figure that significantly undercuts the 2.1 month national average. This speed advantage is part of a wider pattern of performance documented in a recent report by the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients.
The registry data places the institute at the top of the Tri-State area for one-year heart transplant survival. Deane Smith, MD, surgical director for the Center for Heart Failure, Transplantation and Mechanical Circulatory Support, noted that Northwell is the only New York state program to rank in the top three for survival on the wait list, speed of donor access, and one-year survival. Smith described the results as evidence of the care provided by the transplant team.
The institute’s lung program marked a milestone in September 2026, completing its 100th transplant just four years after launching. That procedure carried a 100 percent survival rate at 90 days, with one-year outcomes ranking among the best in the region. More than 90 percent of lung transplant patients reported they would recommend the program to others.
Access to organs is a defining metric for transplant centers, and Northwell’s numbers show substantial speed advantages in other organ types as well. Adult liver patients received deceased donor organs 47 percent faster than the national average. When living donor procedures are included, the program transplanted patients 42 percent faster than the national standard.
Kidney transplant data shows similar efficiency. Adult kidney patients received organs 55 percent faster than the national comparison. Three-year survival results for these patients exceeded those of more than 95 percent of programs in the United States. The pediatric kidney program also achieved the highest one-year graft survival in the region.
Nabil Dagher, MD, senior vice president and director of the Northwell Transplant Institute, stated that the teams work daily to provide better and more compassionate care. He said the results reflect the institute’s commitment to excellence in treating end-stage organ failure.
The institute operates from North Shore University Hospital, where it provides adult transplant programs for hearts, kidneys, livers, lungs, and pancreases.
