1,500 patients await heart transplant amid rising donations
ANTALYA
As of mid-2025, approximately 1,500 patients in Türkiye are on the national waiting list for a heart transplant, according to data from the Health Ministry.
At Akdeniz University’s organ transplantation center in the southwestern province of Antalya, nearly 400 patients are currently awaiting a new heart, despite recent progress in transplant numbers.
In the first six months of the year, seven heart transplants were performed at the Akdeniz University Hospital, a record figure that equals the annual average of previous years.
Nationwide, 20 heart transplants have been carried out during this period — over one-third of which were completed at Akdeniz University.
Cengiz Türkay, head of Transplant Surgery at the university’s medical faculty, explained that the heart transplant program was launched in 1998 and has since reached a total of 131 procedures.
“We typically perform 7 to 8 heart transplants per year which is far from meeting the actual need,” Türkay said, citing the estimated 800,000 to 1.2 million people in Türkiye currently living with heart failure.
The growing awareness of organ donation, he noted, is contributing to a positive shift.
“Thanks to media campaigns and public education, organ donation rates are slowly increasing,” Türkay said. Still, he pointed out that out of around 931 reported brain deaths in 2025, only about 200 families consented to organ donation.
Despite challenges, the Health Ministry’s logistical support, such as transporting organs by ambulance aircraft or helicopters, has facilitated timely transplants. Combined with the center’s expanding capabilities, Türkay remains hopeful.
“With continued efforts and public awareness, we believe the number of heart transplants will rise in the coming years.”
