A kidney transplant cost varies hugely by country, from publicly funded systems like Australia (no direct cost for surgery) to the U.S. where it can exceed $400,000 for the surgery itself, with ongoing costs for anti-rejection drugs. While the transplant itself is expensive, it's often more cost-effective long-term than dialysis, though medication expenses can range from thousands of dollars monthly without robust insurance.
Kidney Transplantation Costs
In 2020, the average kidney transplant cost was US$442,500 (6). Charges for the transplant admission, which include the surgery itself, are the most expensive line item, accounting for 34% of the total cost.
The cost of a kidney transplant in India can range anywhere from INR 5 Lakhs to INR 15 Lakhs or even higher in some cases.
Heart Transplant: The Costliest Procedure
Heart transplants top the list as the most expensive medical procedure in 2024. The complexity of the surgery, the need for donor matching, and the lifelong post-transplant care contribute to the high cost.
The good news is that your social worker, transplant center and financial counselor will be able to guide you through the process. Private insurance typically will cover most of the cost of the transplant itself and many plans will also help cover the cost of medications.
Each transplant program sets its own practice. For example, one program may not accept anyone older than 80 years of age; another may have no age limit. Most transplant candidates nationwide are age 50 or older, and many transplant programs often accept patients age 65 and older.
If you're getting a kidney transplant
Medicare coverage can begin the month you're admitted to a Medicare-certified hospital for a kidney transplant (or for health care services that you need before your transplant) if your transplant takes place in that same month or within the next 2 months.
Kidneys are very successfully transplanted between two people with no matching antigens. A person can make antibodies against another person's HLA antigens. Antibodies can result from blood transfusions, pregnancy, infections or even a viral illness.
On average, a kidney transplant from a living donor lasts for 20-25 years, while a kidney from a deceased donor lasts 15-20 years. This is very variable depending on the age of the donor and patient, and other medical issues. Please speak to your kidney care team for more personalised information.
The loss in kidney function is usually mild, and life span is not impacted. Most people with one kidney live healthy, normal lives with few problems. In other words, one healthy kidney can work as well as two.
Most people wait three to five years for a kidney from the national transplant waiting list in the United States. The timing for you may be shorter or longer.
Medicare or the kidney recipient's private insurance will cover the medical costs of testing and surgery, both for the kidney donor and recipient.
Currently, the one-year kidney transplant survival rate is 95%. The average three- to five-year survival rate is 90%. This means that 9 in 10 people who receive a transplanted kidney will still be alive five years after their surgery.
The cost of a kidney transplant abroad depends on criteria such as country, patient's general condition, type of operation, level of clinic and doctor's qualification. The most affordable kidney transplants are in India and Turkey, and the most expensive clinics are in Spain and Israel.
Organs that have been successfully transplanted include the heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, pancreas, intestine, and thymus. Some organs, like the brain, cannot be transplanted. Tissues include bones, tendons (both referred to as musculoskeletal grafts), cornea, skin, heart valves, nerves and veins.
Your belly and side will be sore for the first 1 to 2 weeks after surgery. You also may have some numbness around the cut (incision) the doctor made. You may feel tired while you are healing. It may take 3 to 6 weeks for your energy to fully return.
Chronic rejection has widely varied effects on different organs. At 5 years post-transplant, 80% of lung transplants, 60% of heart transplants and 50% of kidney transplants are affected, while liver transplants are only affected 10% of the time.
Robert Liston's most notorious surgery yielded 300% mortality. The patient, the surgical assistant, and a family member bystander, each of whom felt the blade of Dr. Liston's slashing amputation knife, died of gangrene in the days following.
Disc surgeries of the spine have a failure rate greater than 50%. 10% of patients experience a worsening of symptoms after surgical intervention.
The medical name for the procedure is cytoreductive surgery (CRS) with heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) or CRS/HIPEC.
Other treatment options
Haemodialysis is where the toxins in your blood are removed directly from your bloodstream. Peritoneal dialysis is where the toxins in your blood are removed through the lining of your tummy (abdomen).
Prescription Costs:
Please note that immune-suppression drugs taken after a transplant do not entitle you to free prescriptions. If you are not entitled to an exemption certificate you can still apply for a Prescription Pre-Payment Certificate (PPC) to help manage the costs of your medication.
Coverage details. Part A covers inpatient dialysis treatments when you're in a hospital. Part B helps cover: Outpatient dialysis treatments & doctors' services (like laboratory tests that are renal dialysis services) you get in a Medicare-certified dialysis facility or your home.
Surgeons typically don't remove the recipient's native kidneys—unless they're greatly enlarged or causing severe problems, such as high blood pressure or infection. “The nonfunctioning kidneys just get smaller over time,” notes Dr. Gelb.