First Transplant from HIV-Positive Donor Performed in U.S.

The first U.S. liver and kidney transplants from a donor with HIV were completed Wednesday at Johns Hopkins Medicine.

This marks the first ever HIV-to-HIV kidney transplant in the United States. HIV-positive kidney transplants have been done in the past in South Africa.

It's estimated that up to 600 people who have HIV and could be donors die each year. If their organs could be used for transplant, experts at Johns Hopkins think that more than 1,000 people could be saved.