How are patients added to the UNOS waiting list?

When a patient's physician determines that an organ transplant may be necessary, the patient is referred to a transplant center for evaluation. The medical team at the center considers the patient's past and present medical condition as well as a variety of psychosocial factors, such as a history of complying with past medical directives and having sufficient emotional support from family or friends. Transplant candidates are then placed on the UNOS waiting list.

What qualifications must patients meet to be placed on the waiting list?

Each transplant center uses its own criteria to list patients. UNOS committees, consisting of transplant professionals, recipients and donor family members, are developing uniform guidelines to determine the minimal qualifications a candidate must meet.

Can patients list at more than one transplant center?

Yes. This is called Multiple Listing. However, each center determines who they accept as candidates and reserves  the right to decline patients who are listed at other centers. Patients who wish to list at more than one center should inform the centers they contact of their plans.

How are donor organs matched to patients awaiting transplant?

When a patient is added to the transplant waiting list, his or her medical profile is entered in the UNOS computer. The computer adds the patient's name to a "pool" of patient names. When an organ donor becomes available, all patients in the pool are compared to that particular donor. The computer then generates a list of patients ranked in order based on biological compatibility and medical criteria. The organs are distributed first locally. If no suitable match exists in that area, the organ is offered regionally, then nationally.

Donor-recipient matches are based on many criteria, including medical urgency of the transplant candidate, time spent on the waiting list, biologic compatibility between the donor and the recipient (such as organ size, blood type, and genetic makeup) and the candidate's ability to be transplanted immediately.

How long does it take to receive an organ?

Patients added to the UNOS waiting list may receive an organ that day, or they may wait years. Factors affecting wait time include the degree of match between the donor and recipient, the medical urgency status of the patient and the availability of donors compared to the number of patients waiting in a geographical area. UNOS publishes wait time statistics by geographical region, sex, age, blood type and race in its statistical annual report.

Does UNOS oversee donation and transplantation on an international level?

No. However, UNOS provides a list of similar organizations in other countries that may be contacted for transplant information.

Can a patient from another country receive a transplant in the U.S.?

Patients can travel from other countries to the U.S. to receive transplants. Once accepted by a UNOS transplant center, international patients receive organs based on the same policies as those that apply to U.S. citizens.

How can I find out about UNOS policy changes and legislation that affect organ transplantation and donation?

Publication of information on policy and legislation occurs routinely on the UNOS World Wide Web page and in UNOS publications. UNOS also maintains a mailing list of patients and members of the public who wish to receive policy proposals published for public comment. To request these resources, please contact UNOS.

How do people access UNOS data on organ transplantation and donation?

UNOS provides information to patients and their families, as well as members of the public, through a toll-free information request line, a World Wide Web page and UNOS publications. For further information please contact UNOS .


SOURCE:  UNOS,  Copyright © 1998, United Network for Organ Sharing