Transplant Living: Organ Donation and Transplantation Information for Patients


Organ Facts Heart Lung Heart/Lung Kidney Pancreas Kidney/Pancreas Liver Intestine Diseases Polycystic kidneys Diabetes mellitus COPD Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis Cystic fibrosis Hypertension Coronary heart disease Cardiomyopathy Short gut syndrome Cirrhosis Hepatitis Living with Devices Artificial Hearts LVADS ICDs Pacemakers Hemodialysis Peritoneal Dialysis Liver Support Systems About Organ Allocation Matching Organs Waiting for an Organ Policies Getting on the List The National Waiting List People You Should Know Questions to Ask Selecting a Hospital Which Hospital Is Best For You? Other Options to Consider Financing a Transplant The Costs Social Services Funding Sources Care Following a Transplant Financial Resources Directory Financial Q & A Preparing for a Transplant Waiting for Your Transplant Emotional Aspects of Waiting Q & A		Getting on the List The National Waiting List The waiting list is a computer database that contains medical information on every person who is waiting for any type of organ transplant in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. You will not have a number ranking for transplant based on all the other persons who are waiting for your organ. You also will not move up or down each time someone receives a transplant. Here are the necessary steps to get on the national waiting list: Your physician must give you a referral. Contact a transplant hospital. Learn as much as possible about the 200+ transplant hospitals in the United States and choose one based on your needs, including insurance, location, finances and support group availability. Schedule an appointment for an evaluation and find out if you are a good candidate for transplant. During the evaluation, ask questions to learn as much as possible about that hospital and its transplant team. If the hospital's transplant team determines that you are a good transplant candidate, they will add you to the national waiting list. UNOS will not notify you when you have been added to the list. Your transplant hospital will notify you within 10 days to inform you about your date of listing. If you have questions about your status on the list, you should ask the team at your transplant hospital. Reference and Publication Information United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) is committed to providing accurate and reliable information for transplant patients. The content on this page was originally created on July 15, 2003 by UNOS and last modified on December 1, 2011. The following sources were used as references: United Network for Organ Sharing. (2011). What Every Patient Needs to Know [Booklet]. Richmond, VA: United Network for Organ Sharing. This web site is intended solely for the purpose of electronically providing the public with general health-related information and convenient access to the data resources. UNOS is not affiliated with any one product nor does UNOS assume responsibility for any error, omissions or other discrepancies.		You may also want to learn about: People you should know Which hospital is best for you?

Getting on the List

The National Waiting List