DHR Health Scales Up Transplant Program As Kidney Waits Stretch 3 To 5 Years And Dialysis Caseload Tops 4,000

Valley Transplant Center Performs 101 kidney Transplants As Waiting List Grows

USA: A South Texas transplant center has dramatically increased kidney transplant activity even as more than 100,000 Americans remain on the national kidney waiting list, officials say. Dr. Shahed Alam of DHR Health emphasized that patients listed for kidney transplantation typically wait three to five years, while living donors can shorten that timeline to months.

The valley’s high rates of obesity, diabetes and hypertension are driving a surge in end-stage organ failure, including kidney, heart and liver disease. Locally, more than 4,000 people are on dialysis and clinicians report a rising number of patients with fatty liver disease progressing to liver failure, increasing demand for transplantation services.

DHR Health opened its comprehensive transplant institute in 2017 to keep complex specialty care close to home and to reduce social and financial barriers that force patients to travel for procedures. The program historically performed 30 to 40 kidney transplants a year; last year it completed 101 kidney transplantations, reflecting intensified efforts to expand access to organs and improve outcomes for the community.

Physicians and staff urge residents to consider living donation when appropriate and to register as posthumous donors — a process providers say takes about two minutes at registerme.org or via the DMV. For information on local transplant services, visit dhrhealth.com/services/transplant or call 362-5433.

Video originally published on 2026-04-18 18:31:48