As of 2026, kidney transplantation has been included in the list of high-tech medical care provided under the compulsory medical insurance (OMS) policy. The number of operations is no longer limited by quotas. This was reported to RIA Novosti by the chief freelance transplant specialist of the Russian Ministry of Health, Director of the Shumakov National Medical Research Center of Transplantology and Artificial Organs, Sergey Gauthier. According to him, the cost of one such operation exceeds one million rubles; now all expenses are covered by the state.
The referral procedure for patients remains the same: they must obtain a referral and contact a specialized center. For transplant specialists themselves and regional programs, this marks a new stage of development.
“Even if a case requires specific additional treatment before the organ transplant, it is provided free of charge, as are examinations, hospital stays, follow-up care, and medications after the operation,” Gauthier emphasized in an interview with the agency.
He noted that in the first two months of the year, 709 organ transplants were performed in Russia, of which 419 were kidney transplants, including 27 in children.
As Gauthier previously noted, kidney transplantation is currently one of the most common operations in this field. Currently, 60,000 adult patients are on dialysis in Russia. However, transplant specialists can help those who have no contraindications for surgery, and this group comprises about one-third (approximately 15,000 patients).
Despite the fact that the number of these operations increases every year, it does not cover all those in need, because the number of patients on renal replacement therapy (the primary indication for kidney transplantation) is constantly growing.
