Working together. Saving lives.
Our mission is to advance organ availability and transplantation to support patients through education, technology and policy development.
How organ matching works
When a patient is “added to the list,” a transplant hospital adds a patient’s medical information into UNOS’ computer system. When a deceased organ donor is identified, UNOS’ computer system generates a ranked list of transplant candidates, or “matches”, based on blood type, tissue type, medical urgency, waiting time, expected benefit, geography and other medical criteria.
Facts
- You can be a donor at any age.
- Celebrity or financial status are not factors in getting a transplant.
- Donation is possible with many medical conditions.
- All major religions approve of organ and tissue donation.
- A national computer system and strict standards are in place to ensure ethical and fair distribution of organs.
- A healthy person can become a living donor by donating a kidney, or a part of the liver, lung, intestine, blood or bone marrow.
- Learn more organ donation facts.
Professionals
News
Board approves enhanced liver distribution system
A set of policy amendments was approved to reduce geographic differences in liver transplant candidates’ access to a timely transplant.
At two years, HOPE Act still offering hope
Two years since its implementation, the HIV Organ Policy Equity Act (also known as the HOPE Act) has continued to provide transplant opportunities for candidates with HIV who are willing to accept organ offers from HIV-positive donors.
Policy modification to lung distribution sequence
Effective at 8 p.m. Eastern time, November 24, 2017, the OPTN lung allocation system was modified.