Liver Transplant Waiting List
Getting prepared, staying ready
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What to Know as You Await a Liver Transplant Match
At Lahey Clinic, after you undergo a formal evaluation for a liver transplant, our screening committee decides if you’re a good candidate. If you are, you are added to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) waiting list. UNOS is the national organization that allocates organs from deceased donors.
Liver Transplant Criteria
UNOS considers several criteria when it decides who gets the next available liver. These include:
- Blood type: UNOS divides the liver transplant waiting list into four separate lists: A, B, AB or O. Blood types don’t have to be an exact match between recipient and donor, but they must be compatible. Whether your blood type is positive or negative doesn’t matter.
- Urgency of condition: People awaiting a liver transplant receive a MELD score. MELD stands for Model of End-Stage Liver Disease. The score ranges from 6 to 40 and is based on the results of blood tests. You must undergo the blood tests on a schedule that UNOS determines. The higher your score (an indicator of more severe disease) the more frequently you’ll need testing. MELD scores are a good indicator of how quickly you need a transplant.
- Location: UNOS allocates organs based on MELD scores and distance from the donor hospital.
- Liver size: You must be about the same size as your donor. A small liver, for example, won’t function adequately in a large person’s body.
How long you’ve been waiting for a liver doesn’t come into play. And UNOS does not consider factors such as age, sex, race or socioeconomic status when determining who will get a liver. The organization does not allow people to purchase a liver or any other organ, either. That’s illegal.
Waiting Time for Liver Transplantation
It’s impossible to predict when a new liver will become available for you. But the higher your MELD score, the lower the liver transplant average waiting time. In general, those whose blood type is B or O have the longest wait times. Those with blood type A or AB usually have shorter waits.
If you have a living liver donor, you don’t have to wait until your MELD score is high to get your transplant. We coordinate the timing with your live donor care team.
Staying Active on the Waiting List
To remain active on the liver transplant waiting list, you must:
- Get regular laboratory testing according to the schedule UNOS determines.
- Have random drug and alcohol screenings.
- Keep all scheduled appointments.
Communicating with Our Transplant Team
You or a family member must contact the clinic at 781-744-2500 or send a message through the patient portal in BILH MyChart if you:
- Are admitted to another hospital.
- Cannot keep a scheduled appointment at the transplant center.
- Change your contact information, including your address or phone number.
- Change your insurance coverage, including your prescription plan.
- Receive a diagnosis of any type.
- Visit the emergency department.
Listing at More Than One Transplant Center
UNOS allows you to be on the waiting list at more than one transplant center at the same time. However, there are certain restrictions. Please discuss these restrictions with our doctors or contact UNOS directly.
