Heart Transplant Wait List

The UNOS System

The University of Colorado Hospital Heart Transplant Program follows the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) system for prioritizing heart transplant candidates. UNOS is a nationwide network supervised by the federal government to help ensure that all patients receive healthy organs as soon as they become available. All transplant centers in the United States belong to UNOS.

For this system to work, it relies on organ procurement organizations, called OPOs. OPOs match and distribute donated organs, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The OPO in our region is Donor Alliance (DA).

DA is responsible for the coordination, retrieval and distribution of organs in Colorado and Wyoming.

Donor matching criteria

The process of matching donor organs to patients awaiting transplant is based on many criteria to make sure patients are stable and prepared, including:

• Medical urgency of the transplant candidate

• Time spent on the waiting list

• Biologic compatibility (organ size, blood type, etc.)

• The candidate’s ability to be transplanted immediately

If all candidates are of similar degrees of illness, then it is offered to the person with the longest waiting time.

Donated organs are distributed locally first. If no suitable match exists in the local area, the organ is offered regionally and then nationally.

During the waiting period, you will be monitored by your cardiologist. Your cardiologist will keep the transplant surgeon and coordinator informed about changes in your condition.

If you live far away from University of Colorado Hospital, your care may be managed by your primary care doctor. However, it is important that you are seen monthly by a transplant center cardiologist. You also will be given guidelines about diet and exercise.