Malaga Regional Hospital breaks a record by performing 16 transplants in just six days

Zoom

13 of the operations were kidney and three were liver operations, a milestone due to the complexity of the procedures

José Antonio Sau

Thursday, 15 January 2026, 12:35

The Regional University Hospital of Malaga has set a new benchmark for surgical excellence, performing 16 organ transplants in less than six days.

The marathon of high-complexity surgeries, which took place during the final days of December, included 13 kidney and three liver transplants, solidifying the hospital’s status as a national leader in the field.

The Regional Minister of Health, Antonio Sanz himself has recognised that the hospital has made "history" on the X social network. "Thanks to the great team of professionals who, once again, have shown that when coordination and excellence go hand in hand, lives are saved at record pace," said Sanz, closing his message with the following phrase: "Pride in healthcare".

The centre thus continues the path marked over the last few years, so that in 2024 its professionals performed 337 transplants (20% more than in 2023), of which 85 were liver transplants, 10 pancreas transplants and 242 were kidney transplants. It thus became the Spanish centre with the highest number of kidney transplants performed two years ago.

Likewise, 2024 was the year of greatest overall activity in transplants, with 337 organs, a historic figure which, according to the Andalusian Regional Government, represented "a sharp increase over previous years".

It also broke a record for liver transplants in 2024, performing 85 liver transplants, making it the leading hospital in Andalucía and one of the busiest in Spain. In addition to the feat known today of completing sixteen transplants in less than a week, or several complex procedures concentrated in 48 hours, it has consolidated its position as one of the benchmarks in this field.

Andalucía also broke its own transplant record in 2024, with Andalusian hospitals performing 18% more transplants than the previous year, rising from 1,034 in 2023 to a total of 1,222, making it the highest number of transplants performed in a single year. In addition, last year also saw 12.24% more donors than in 2023, with 495 organ donors in 2024, compared to 441 in 2023, and 362 tissue donors compared to the previous 281.

Of the total number of transplants performed in the region last year, 728 were kidney transplants (13.5% more than in 2023), 297 liver transplants (20% more), 131 lung transplants (64% more), 49 heart transplants (14% more) and 17 pancreas transplants. In 2024, the significant growth in lung transplants was once again noteworthy, with 64% more than last year, when a total of 80 transplants were recorded.

Donation rate

The number of families who said yes to donation in 2024 continues to grow, with a rate reaching 57.5 donors per million population (p.m.p.), 11.6% more than the previous year and the highest in the entire historical series in Andalucía. Cordoba leads this donation rate with 72.7 donors per million population, followed by Granada (64.5 p.m.p.) and Almeria (61.8 p.m.p.). Malaga, with a rate of 59.9 p.m.p., reached a record 106 organ donors, the highest provincial contribution to the Andalusian total.

In total, the acceptance of donation by the Andalusian population is close to 88%, which has led to a total of 495 organ donors (of which 323 have also donated tissue), 362 tissue donors (28.8% more than last year) of which 326 were corneas.