The Transplantation Process

The steps for cornea and tissue transplants are slightly different than the steps for solid organ transplants.  The steps for solid organ transplant are as follows: 

Step 1: Need for Transplant is Determined 

  • People requiring an organ transplant suffer from end-stage failure of a vital organ. This means that without a transplant or other significant supportive care, such as dialysis or a heart assist device, death is imminent.  Click here for a list of local transplant centers.

Step 2: Patient is Added to the National Waiting List 

  • Once a person is accepted as a transplant candidate, their name and medical profile can be added to the UNOS waiting list.
  • The UNOS list includes all potential transplant recipients in the United States.
Step 3: Patient is Ranked  
  • The person's name is added to the "pool" of those awaiting transplant.  They are not ranked at this time.
  • When a potential donor organ becomes available, each person in the "pool" is computer matched against the donor organ characteristics.
  • The computer then generates a list of people ranked in order based on medical and scientific criteria, comparing everyone in the "pool" to that particular donor organ.
Step 4: Matching  
  • Factors for matching include medical urgency, blood type, length of time on the waiting list and immune status.  Factors such as size match, tissue match, and how ill a potential recipient is may also be taken into consideration.
  • In the case of heart, heart-lung, liver, and lung, the potential recipient's distance from the donor hospital is also considered.  
  • The top ranked person on the waiting list may not receive the organ because they are not a match.  
  • Recipients must also be available, be healthy enough to tolerate major surgery and be willing to undergo transplant immediately.
Step 5: Transplant Occurs  
  • When a match is found, the organ is transplanted into the recipient.  
  • When an organ is transplanted, the recipient’s immune system sees this organ as ‘foreign’ and may attempt to reject the new organ.  To combat this problem, solid organ transplant recipients take anti-rejection drugs for the rest of their lives.  
  • Despite this, most recipients believe this is a small price to pay for procedures that save lives, restore function, and free people from daily hospital visits.  
  • For many, transplantation is the best treatment option and the only hope for a normal life.
 
 
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