Getting on the List for Organ Transplants
Organ transplant info you should know
Getting an organ transplant is usually a frustrating and arduous process for patients who want to make it on the
list. A patient must first find a transplant team that will treat him or her to be included on the national waiting
list for organ transplants. The patient is then evaluated by this transplant team, which is comprised of a group of
surgeons and other health professionals who then decide whether he or she is a good candidate for transplantation.
The team will consider the patient's attitude, psychological state and history of drug abuse in addition to
assessing the patient's physical condition.
As donated organs are a rare and much-needed commodity, doctors do not want to proceed unless they are confident
that a patient is physically and mentally prepared for the procedure, as well as life after the procedure. In
general, patients who are unwilling to give up unhealthy drugs will be automatically disqualified as a
candidate.
On the other hand, if the transplant team feels that a patient is a good candidate for transplant, they will
contact the Organ Center in order to put the patient on the national waiting list.
The program generates a ranked list of potential recipients based on the criteria established by the UNOS board of
directors. The criteria involve the health of the recipient, the physical compatibility between the donor and the
recipient, and how long the recipient has been waiting for an organ. These criteria are enacted in order to choose
a recipient who is a good match and stands a good chance of recovery. It also takes into account people who have
been in line for a long time.
The transplant team of the first person on the list is then immediately contact by the OPO. Noting all of the
donor's information, the transplant team will then make a decision whether or not to accept the organ.
There are several reasons a transplant team might reject an organ. For example, the donor may be much larger or
older than the potential recipient, making the organ a bad fit, or the donor may have had health problems that
could have damaged the organ. If the potential recipient is ill or otherwise unprepared for surgery, the transplant
team might also decline the organ. The OPO will move to the next name on the list if the organ is declined.
The OPO will first look for potential recipients in the local area in most cases. The OPO will extend the search to
anyone in the UNOS region (there are 11 regions across the country) if there are no matches in the local area. The
OPO will offer the organ to the person who is ranked first on the national list if there are still no matches.
These procedures are enacted to minimize organ transportation time and to encourage donation by offering donors a
chance to help out their local community.
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