Transplantation Process

In 1995 Celia (Left) received a kidney from her mother, Janet (Right). The transplant was more than just the "Gift of Life" for Celia.  It also allowed for her to start a family of her own. Simon (Center) is a great joy for his mom and his grandma!

The need for donated organs and tissues is growing at a much greater rate than their availability. While transplantation is now considered a standard medical treatment for a wide variety of conditions, it is important to remember that without an individual saying "yes" to donation, transplants are not possible.

When it has been determined that a person is in end-stage organ failure and the only hope is an organ transplant, the patient will go through a series of medical and psychological tests before they are listed for a transplant. Once all of the pre-transplant requirements are met, he or she is placed on the United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS) national transplant waiting list. Individuals waiting for an organ transplant are listed in the UNOS computer based upon their personal medical characteristics. These characteristics are utilized in determining a match when there is an organ donor. The amount of time that an individual will have to wait for a transplant can vary from a few hours to many years.

Once an organ has been donated and the best transplant candidate match has been identified, the prospective recipient will be notified by the transplant center and will immediately go to the hospital (if he or she is not already there) to receive the transplant. Following a transplant, recovery times can vary from a few days to several months.

Organ transplant recipients will take immuno-suppressant medications for the rest of their lives to prevent their body from rejecting the new organ.

With tissue donation, there is not a single national waiting list, but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates the country's tissue banks. Medical matching for tissue donation is not necessary because the donated tissue is processed before it is implanted into a recipient as allografts. Additionally, it is not necessary for tissue recipients to take medications after their transplant because of the purifying that takes place in the processing and preparation of the tissue before it is transplanted.

Both organ and tissue recipients are able to resume normal active lives after their transplants.