Liver Transplant Program - Wait List

What is the waiting list?

When someone is on the waiting list, it means that person has been registered with the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) for a deceased donor transplant.  The OPTN maintains the computer network that links all 59 of the regional Organ Procurement Organizations (OPO's) and all 260 transplant centers in the US.  Each OPO is responsible for identifying potential organs for transplant and for notifying the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) when organs become available. UNOS is a private, nonprofit organization that administers OPTN under a contract with the Federal Government.

What happens when a liver becomes available?

When a deceased donor liver becomes available for transplantation, the local OPO notifies UNOS. UNOS then makes a computer-generated list of suitable recipients.  Each time an organ becomes available, UNOS prints a new list.  UNOS then notifies the transplant center that a liver is available for a recipient who is listed at the center.

How long will I have to wait for a liver?

The length of time all potential deceased donor liver recipients must wait depends on many factors, including how well the donor matches the recipient, how critically ill the recipient may be, length of time spent on the waiting list and other medical criteria.  Some people wait only a few months for a good match, while others may wait as long as three years or longer.  However, the potential recipient's race, income, gender, or celebrity status is never a factor in deciding who receives a liver.

How many people are on the waiting list?

As of December 23, 2003, a total of  17,419 persons were on the UNOS liver transplant waiting list.  UNOS reports a total of 4,009 deceased donor liver transplants have occurred in the US this calendar year and 235 living donors.  The number of people of the waiting list increases every year.   However, the number of available deceased donor livers has remained about the same.  The result is a shortage of livers and a longer time on the wait list.

How do I prepare for my surgery?

Please read, Oregon Health & Science University and Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center Combined Liver Transplant Program, A Guide to Liver Transplantation .