New Organ Donation Method Boosts Transplants in Denmark

Denmark has grown its organ donor supply with a new medical method. This change helps reduce waiting times for people who need organ transplants. The Danish Health Authority said 100 people donated organs after cardiac arrest. Doctors call this method Donation after Circulatory Death or DCD.

Denmark started using the DCD method in 2023. It lets doctors take organs after the heart stops beating. In the past, organ donation in Denmark needed proof of brain death. New tech now allows donation after doctors stop breathing support machines.

DCD provided 210 organs over three years. Among these organs, 187 were kidneys. Danish Health Authority chief doctor Camilla Krogh praised the results. She told Ritzau that these organs were not available before. In early 2026, Denmark had 46 brain-dead donors and 20 DCD donors.

About 400 to 500 patients wait for transplants in Denmark each year. Most of these patients are waiting for a new kidney. By June 2026, 1.9 million people in Denmark saved their organ choices. Adults over 18 enter the donor list by default under rules set last year. However, each person must log in to state their own final choice. The Copenhagen Post reported these medical updates.