You need a transplant, now what?

The first step in receiving a transplant is to get on the UNOS national waiting list. All transplant patients must wait because there are not enough donor organs. Many factors determine how long a patient must wait.

To get on the national waiting list, you should follow these steps:

• • Contract a transplant hospital:
    There are more than 200 to choose from. You should learn as much as possible about them and choose the one that best meets your needs.

• • Make an appointment to visit the hospital:
    During your visit, the hospital’s transplant team will run tests to determine if you would be a good candidate for a transplant. This is called an evaluation.

• • You will have a chance to ask questions:
    During the evaluation, you should learn as much as possible about that hospital and its transplant team.

• • The hospital’s transplant team decides whether you are a good transplant candidate:
    Each hospital has their own criteria for accepting a patient for transplant. However, UNOS has developed general guidelines for listing patients for heart and kidney transplants. You will need to contact each hospital to find out their criteria for accepting patients.

• If the hospital’s transplant team decides that you are a good transplant candidate, they will add you to the UNOS national waiting list:
  You will not be notified by UNOS that you have been added to the list. Your transplant hospital will tell you when you’ve been added. If you have questions about your status on the list, you should ask the team at that transplant hospital.