Connecting you to resources
Links on this page will lead you to resources on three websites: UNOS, Transplant Living, and OPTN.
News for patients
Honoring the gift of life: Ceremony marks the National Donor Memorial 20th anniversary
The National Donor Memorial inspires us “to reflect on what it means to be an organ, eye or tissue donor.”
Animated videos describe MELD, PELD formulas
Resource especially designed to inform transplant patients and their caregivers.
How you can help shape the future of organ donation and transplant
Your voice matters. I urge you to take advantage of this opportunity to help make the system work better for people like you.
Kidney and pancreas
- About kidney transplants
- Understanding and calculating:
- About pancreas transplants
Information about waiting time modifications for Black kidney candidates
Liver and intestine
- About liver transplants
- Learn about liver policy, medical urgency and exception scores
- About intestine transplants
Learn how organs work, how to cover costs and find support groups, how to take care of a transplanted organ, and more.
COVID-19 vaccine FAQs
Find answers on the Transplant Living website
Heart and lung
- About heart transplants
- About lung transplants
- Understand OPTN lung policy changes
- Understanding and calculating score:
VCA
Brochures and glossary
Question and answer brochures for transplant candidates
Definitions for transplantation and donation terms. View glossary
Data and trends
UNOS research staff aggregate national OPTN data and analyze trends in transplantation. By tracking data at national, regional and individual institutional levels, UNOS researchers strive to identify opportunities to increase the number of transplants.
Allocation calculators
Allocation calculators are important tools that transplant professionals and patients use to determine various scores that influence a candidate’s priority on the waiting list and likelihood of receiving a transplant.
Learn more about the scores on the OPTN:
- Lung Composite Allocation Score (CAS)
- Kidney Donor Profile Index (KDPI)
- Estimated Post-Transplant Score (EPTS)
- Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD), age 12 and older
- Pediatric End-Stage Liver Disease (PELD), younger than age 12 when first listed
Living donation
Learn about:
- living donor requirements, informed consent, frequently asked questions on UNOS.org
- the operation, how to talk about it with friends and family, and people you should know on TransplantLiving.org
- expenses and financial support on TransplantLiving.org
Policy
How are national transplant policies made? Many voices come together—including yours—to develop policies that make transplant fair and equitable for all patients. The community is developing a more equitable system of allocating deceased donor organs. This approach is called continuous distribution.
Who gets to determine policy? You do. Public comment is open twice a year. Learn more.
How do we track policy success? See how liver, kidney and pancreas policies are working.
Questions?
Patients, family members, and friends needing additional information about living donation and organ transplant, contact the OPTN Patient Services Line at 1-888-894-6361 or [email protected].
Connecting donor families & recipients
Get involved
- Advocate: Take direct action when issues arise impacting patients, donors, donor families, and the national system.
- Be an ambassador: Spread the word about UNOS, organ donation and transplantation.
- Share your story or honor a donor.