Transplant Center & Transplantation Procedures | Houston Methodist
Source: https://www.houstonmethodist.org/transplant
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:11
Transplant Center & Transplantation Procedures | Houston Methodist
Home
Services & Specialties
Transplant Center & Procedures
Home
Services & Specialties
Transplant Center & Procedures
Pioneers in Organ Transplant & Experts at Managing Advanced Organ Failure
With more than 10,000 transplants, our doctors’ commitment to excellence has made Houston Methodist a transplant world leader.
With more than 10,000 transplants, our doctors’ commitment to excellence has made Houston Methodist a transplant world leader.
On This Page
Transplant Expertise for You
Find Transplant & Organ Failure Care
Why Choose Houston Methodist Transplant Center
Our Transplant Specialists
Transplant Research & Clinical Trials
Care & Support Throughout Your Transplant Journey
Patient Stories
News & Events
Frequently Asked Questions
Houston Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center
Every transplant is a unique, lifesaving event that can powerfully affect organ recipients, donors and their families. One of our six centers of excellence, Houston Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center is the No. 1 multi-organ transplant program in the nation and the No. 6 transplant program in the nation. We are dedicated to providing outstanding care, resources and support to help patients and their families face organ and tissue transplant, as well as advanced organ failure management.
National Rankings Underscore Our Commitment to Excellence
We are one of the most comprehensive transplant centers in the United States. We offer direct access to state-of-the-art resources at Houston Methodist Hospital, named by
U.S. News & World Repor
t as one of the nation’s best as a nationally ranked Honor Roll hospital.
Learn More ➝
Why Choose Houston Methodist Transplant Center
Houston Methodist is renowned around the world for transplantation. Steeped in a long history of transplant “firsts,” we credit our success to a multidisciplinary and integrative approach to treatment, worldwide medical advances and our collaborative network of institution-wide and community support. Our goal is to help patients return to their normal lives, keeping them as healthy as possible and living their best lives. There’s no question that when you receive care at Houston Methodist’s J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center, you become part of our family.
Making Transplant History
Leading Transplant Innovation & Technology
Comprehensive, Personalized Treatment Plans
Making Transplant History
60+ years of building on our transplant legacy
Transplant medicine has come a long way since we began our tradition of excellence in 1963, when legendary surgeon Dr. Michael E. DeBakey and his team performed the first kidney transplant at Houston Methodist. Five years later, the first heart transplant in Texas, among the first in the country, was performed here as well.
As the decades moved forward, so did the development of our corneal, kidney, liver and other organ transplant programs, research on ventricular assist devices, the advent of the artificial heart, the success of multi-organ transplant swaps, and advances in detecting organ and tissue rejection and immunosuppressive drugs. In 2023, we reached a historical milestone: proudly performing our 10,000th organ transplant.
Explore Our Transplant History ➝
Leading Transplant Innovation & Technology
Serving our community through lifesaving innovations in organ transplant
Today, we continue our success by focusing on developing new techniques through what we learn from our daily clinical practice and our rigorous research efforts. We participate in programs that coordinate organ swaps on a grander, more complex scale.
Our team works with scientists and researchers to devise new methods to reduce the use of immunosuppressant drugs, develop better organ-assist devices and more effective treatments to manage organs that are failing, as well as discover innovative ways to build synthetic organs in order to increase the number of available organs.
Comprehensive, Personalized Treatment Plans
Focusing on providing the highest level of care to patients needing life-saving transplant procedures
From the moment you walk into the Houston Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center, you feel the spirit of care and compassion that inspires everything we do. Our dedication to providing excellent clinical care, resources and support helps patients and their families face transplant surgery with confidence — through the entire process. We are here for you, as your doctors, your friends, your family.
Find Transplant Patient Resources ➝
Call Us to Get Started With Your Care Today
713.441.5451
Call Us to Get Started With Your Care Today
Request a Transplant Center Appointment
Request an Appointment
Request a Transplant Center Appointment
Share the Gift of Life by Donating Blood
Learn More
Share the Gift of Life by Donating Blood
Call Us to Get Started With Your Care Today
Call Us to Get Started With Your Care Today
713.441.5451
International patients please learn more
here
or call
1.713.441.2340
.
Our Transplant Specialists
Led by Dr. R. Mark Ghobrial, Houston Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center is home to some of the world’s finest and most experienced doctors in the areas of transplantation and advanced organ failure management. In 2025, the team completed 838 transplants across four organs, including 73 hearts, 83 lungs, 329 kidneys, 338 livers and several multi-organ transplants. Our center generated 149 living donor transplants and implanted 41 LVADs. We were the home for more than 8,300 new patient referrals for transplant evaluations and currently serve more than 2,000 patients with advanced diseases listed for transplantation.
Transplant Research & Clinical Trials
Our commitment to research and innovation in advanced organ failure management and transplant ensures patients will continue to receive the most innovative therapies for all organ transplants, including approaches that reduce transplant rejection, advance stem cell research and explore tissue regeneration. Our research team focuses on improving successful transplant outcomes by exploring innovative ways to improve transplant health and reduce transplant rejection while concurrently discovering methods to help avoid life-long dependency on rejection-halting immunosuppressive drugs. We are also actively involved in clinical trials, supported by our physicians, to find new forms of immunosuppression, strategies for reducing complications and new ways to fight post-operative infection.
Explore Our Clinical Trials
Care & Support Throughout Your Transplant Journey
At Houston Methodist, not only do we prioritize your care, but we are committed to providing you with unwavering emotional support. Your quality of life — from diagnosis and management through recovery and beyond — is our transplant teams’ purpose and mission. We are with you for the full journey, guiding with knowledge, compassion and world-class transplant treatment.
Patient Resources
We are committed to providing outstanding care, resources and support to help our patients and their families face transplant surgery with confidence — through the entire process.
Living Donors
Houston Methodist is among just a handful of liver transplant programs in the U.S. that performs living donor transplants, giving hope to patients who may otherwise not receive lifesaving organs.
Para Español
En Houston Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center, nuestro equipo de profesionales especializados en trasplante te brindará las respuestas y el tratamiento avanzado que requieres.
Transplant Patient Stories
Every transplant is a unique experience of hope that can bring reassurance to thousands of others. Many who have undergone transplants at Houston Methodist have shared their story. Whether you are a patient, a living donor or a patient’s loved one, your journey of hope and healing can raise awareness about this life-giving gift and bring reassurance to those who are currently waiting for a transplant. Here are some of their stories.
Multi-Organ Transplant: Tara's Story
Tara Goodwin was just seven months old when she was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. By the time she was 31, she was in need of a lung-liver transplant. At the time, fewer than 100 patients had ever undergone this type of multi-organ transplant. A year later, her lung capacity is 100% and she's enjoying her second chance at living life to the fullest.
Learn more
.
Lung Transplant: Dr. McKenzie's Story
When thoracic and congenital heart surgeon Dean McKenzie, MD needed a life-saving lung transplant, he turned to Houston Methodist. His transplant surgeon Erik Eddie Suarez, MD trained with Dr. McKenzie when he was a resident in this inspiring story.
Learn more
.
Living Kidney Donation: Tina and Christy's Story
Tina and Christy share a strong bond. After six years of being on dialysis, Tina needed a kidney transplant and Christy didn't hesitate to help.
Learn more
about their special bond.
Heart Transplant: Harvey's Story
When former NBA player Harvey Catchings underwent surgery for a rare heart condition, more issues were discovered and he was quickly hospitalized and put on the waiting list for a heart transplant.
Learn more
about his new teammates at Houston Methodist and what they went through together in his journey for a new heart.
How a Transplant Saved Both of Our Lives: The McBride Story
The journey for transplant patients is typically challenging, but Michael and Kris McBride faced more challenges than most in their years-long journey.
Learn more
about how they saved each other's lives along the way.
Transplant News & Events
Leading Medicine Blog — For Physicians
In The News — Recent Press
Events — Virtual & In-Person
Leading Medicine Blog — For Physicians
More Leading Medicine Articles
In The News — Recent Press
View All News
Events — Virtual & In-Person
See All Events
Transplant Frequently Asked Questions
According to the
United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS)
, if you have a medical condition that may cause one or more of your vital organs to fail, transplant may be a treatment option. A transplant is a surgical operation to give a functioning human organ to someone whose organ has stopped working or is close to failing. In some cases, a living person can donate all or part of a functioning organ. In other instances, the donor would be someone who has recently passed away.
The organs that can be transplanted are:
Liver
Kidney
Pancreas
Kidney-pancreas (can be transplanted at the same time)
Heart
Lung
Heart-lung (can be transplanted at the same time)
Intestine
Vascularized composite allografts, or VCAs, such as face, hand or uterus transplantation
Tissues, such as eyes, skin, bone, heart valves and tendons, can also be transplanted.
A transplant program must evaluate anyone who may wish to have a transplant, and health care professionals there would make the final decision about whether to accept that person as a candidate. You are not automatically listed for a transplant just because you’ve had contact with a transplant program.
Each transplant program makes its own decision about whether to accept someone for a transplant. The transplant team at each program has its own standards for accepting candidates.
Each team may view the same facts and information in different ways and make different decisions about listing a person for a transplant. So, if one program is not willing to accept you as a candidate, a different program may accept you. Source:
UNOS
You need to be referred by your doctor to a transplant center, where they will evaluate your medical condition to determine if you are a suitable candidate and then add you to the national waiting list if you qualify; this process typically involves contacting a transplant hospital, scheduling an evaluation appointment and undergoing thorough medical testing to assess your compatibility with a potential donor organ. Source:
UNOS
According to
UNOS
, while survival rates differ by organ type, the majority of transplant recipients survive at least one year post-transplant. Kidney recipients tend to have a higher one-year survival rate than heart-lung or intestine recipients. Patient survival rates decrease over time, but the rate of decrease generally slows after the first year.
According to
UNOS
, for most patients who need a transplant, the first step is to get on the national transplant waiting list. Most transplant candidates usually wait for some length of time because there are not enough organs for all who need them. To get on the national waitlist, follow these steps:
Receive a referral from your physician.
Contact a
transplant hospital
. Learn as much as possible about the 200+ transplant hospitals in the United States and choose one based on your needs, including insurance accepted, location, financial options and support group availability.
Schedule an appointment for evaluation to determine if you are a good candidate for transplant.
During the evaluation, ask questions to learn as much as possible about that hospital and its transplant team.
The hospital’s transplant team will decide whether you are a good candidate for transplant. Each hospital has its own criteria for accepting candidates for transplant. If the hospital’s transplant team determines that you are a good candidate for transplant, they will add you to the national waiting list. Your transplant hospital will notify you within 10 days to inform you about your date of listing.
According to
UNOS
, many people often think that the national organ transplant waitlist is a static list, like a grocery store checkout line. However, the waitlist is a dynamic, ever-changing pool of information. Where a patient may appear at any point depends on a number of variables about the organs available and about other people in similar need of a transplant. We run these donor and organ characteristics against the list of patients waiting for a transplant who match key factors for that specific organ. Since there is a shortage of organs suitable for donation as compared to the number of those waiting for a transplant, at UNOS we generate a new list for every available organ in order to make the best match for a successful transplant.
You will want to stay in close communication with your transplant hospital on your transplant status.
Learn more facts about the
waitlist and what to expect when waiting for a transplant
on Transplant Living.
According to
UNOS
, once you are added to the national organ transplant waitlist, you may receive an organ that day, or you may wait many years. Factors affecting how long you wait include how well you match with the donor, how sick you are, and how many donors are available in your local area compared to the number of patients waiting.
According to
UNOS
, when a transplant hospital adds you to the waiting list, it is placed in a pool of names. When an organ donor becomes available, all the patients in the pool are compared to that donor. Factors such as medical urgency, time spent on the waiting list, organ size, blood type and genetic makeup are considered. The organ is offered first to the candidate that is the best match.
According to
UNOS
, organ distribution frameworks are tailored toward each individual organ type, and every attempt is made to place donor organs. Learn more about
the future of organ allocation
.
With living donation, a living person donates an organ or part of an organ for transplantation. Most living donors donate one of their kidneys or a part of their liver. Much more rarely, living donors may donate other organs. Living organ donors make thousands of transplants possible every year.
Relatives, loved ones, friends and even individuals who wish to remain anonymous often serve as living donors to spare a patient a long and uncertain wait. In 2023, more than 6,900 transplants were made possible by living donors.
If you are considering living donation, it is critical to gather as much information as you can from various sources. Source:
UNOS
Almost any adult can be considered for living donation, provided he or she is in good health. While most are direct donors giving to a family member, loved one or acquaintance, some people become altruistic, or good Samaritan, donors by giving a kidney to anyone on the waiting list who is a match.
At Houston Methodist, living donors are as much our patients as those in need of transplant. Our goal is to ensure our living donors’ health, safety and interests at all times. All potential living donors at Houston Methodist undergo extensive education and medical and psychological evaluations before being approved. All living donors are assigned an independent living donor advocate, who prioritizes the donor’s needs and interests.
Visit the UNOS patient website,
Transplant Living
, to learn more about living donation.
If you would like to register to be a living donor at Houston Methodist’s Transplant Center, or learn more about living donation, visit our Living Donor Center.
The United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS) recommends these general steps on how to get started on becoming a living donor:
Contact a transplant hospital
If you know a person you would like to help through living directed donation, talk to him or her and contact the transplant program where the person is listed. If you would like to be a living non-directed donor, contact a transplant hospital of your choice to find out if they have this type of donation program. Visit the
OPTN Member Directory
for a complete list of transplant hospitals. When you contact transplant hospital staff, they will typically ask for your consent to begin a basic medical screening. With your consent, the transplant hospital staff will ask you questions about your medical history to find out if you have any conditions that would keep you from being a donor.
Have an initial screening
This initial screening is typically followed by a blood test to see if you are compatible with the intended transplant candidate. If you are not compatible with that person, you may have other options to donate. These options include
paired exchange
,
blood type incompatible donation or positive crossmatch donation
.
Get an independent donor advocate
Transplant hospitals are required to provide an independent donor advocate (IDA) or IDA team for all potential donors. Your IDA should not be part of the potential transplant recipient’s medical team. The IDA will assist you during the donation process.
According to the
United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS)
, the transplant recipient’s insurance will cover your medical expenses as a donor, such as the evaluation, surgery, and limited follow-up tests and medical appointments. However, the recipient’s insurance may or may not cover follow-up services for you if medical problems occur from the donation. Your own insurance may not cover these expenses either.
An organ donor chain begins when a donor without a specific recipient donates an organ to a transplant recipient. The recipient's donor then donates to another recipient, and so on and so on.
Each organ is carefully preserved using special solutions, packed on ice and for some organs — currently lungs and kidney — put on machines for safe transportation.
Unlike deceased donors, in a living organ donation, the donor decides who will receive their organ by either directing it to a specific person (a “directed donation”) or choosing to donate anonymously to someone on the transplant waiting list through a “non-directed donation” process; however, the final decision is always made in consultation with the transplant team to ensure compatibility and medical suitability.
Call us at
713.441.545
or fill out this
form
to request an appointment.
We can help you find local housing and transportation options to ensure that you and your family members travel and stay in comfort. Learn more about our services designed for those
traveling from outside of Texas
or
outside the United States
.
To learn if we accept your insurance, please visit Houston Methodist’s
Insurance page
. Each of our locations has its own set of accepted insurance plans, so it is important you check prior to any procedure. Billing information for each location is also available.
Information about parking at our Transplant Center at Houston Methodist Hospital in the Texas Medical Center can be found
here
.
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Home
Services & Specialties
Transplant Center & Procedures
Home
Services & Specialties
Transplant Center & Procedures
Pioneers in Organ Transplant & Experts at Managing Advanced Organ Failure
With more than 10,000 transplants, our doctors’ commitment to excellence has made Houston Methodist a transplant world leader.
With more than 10,000 transplants, our doctors’ commitment to excellence has made Houston Methodist a transplant world leader.
On This Page
Transplant Expertise for You
Find Transplant & Organ Failure Care
Why Choose Houston Methodist Transplant Center
Our Transplant Specialists
Transplant Research & Clinical Trials
Care & Support Throughout Your Transplant Journey
Patient Stories
News & Events
Frequently Asked Questions
Houston Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center
Every transplant is a unique, lifesaving event that can powerfully affect organ recipients, donors and their families. One of our six centers of excellence, Houston Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center is the No. 1 multi-organ transplant program in the nation and the No. 6 transplant program in the nation. We are dedicated to providing outstanding care, resources and support to help patients and their families face organ and tissue transplant, as well as advanced organ failure management.
National Rankings Underscore Our Commitment to Excellence
We are one of the most comprehensive transplant centers in the United States. We offer direct access to state-of-the-art resources at Houston Methodist Hospital, named by
U.S. News & World Repor
t as one of the nation’s best as a nationally ranked Honor Roll hospital.
Learn More ➝
Why Choose Houston Methodist Transplant Center
Houston Methodist is renowned around the world for transplantation. Steeped in a long history of transplant “firsts,” we credit our success to a multidisciplinary and integrative approach to treatment, worldwide medical advances and our collaborative network of institution-wide and community support. Our goal is to help patients return to their normal lives, keeping them as healthy as possible and living their best lives. There’s no question that when you receive care at Houston Methodist’s J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center, you become part of our family.
Making Transplant History
Leading Transplant Innovation & Technology
Comprehensive, Personalized Treatment Plans
Making Transplant History
60+ years of building on our transplant legacy
Transplant medicine has come a long way since we began our tradition of excellence in 1963, when legendary surgeon Dr. Michael E. DeBakey and his team performed the first kidney transplant at Houston Methodist. Five years later, the first heart transplant in Texas, among the first in the country, was performed here as well.
As the decades moved forward, so did the development of our corneal, kidney, liver and other organ transplant programs, research on ventricular assist devices, the advent of the artificial heart, the success of multi-organ transplant swaps, and advances in detecting organ and tissue rejection and immunosuppressive drugs. In 2023, we reached a historical milestone: proudly performing our 10,000th organ transplant.
Explore Our Transplant History ➝
Leading Transplant Innovation & Technology
Serving our community through lifesaving innovations in organ transplant
Today, we continue our success by focusing on developing new techniques through what we learn from our daily clinical practice and our rigorous research efforts. We participate in programs that coordinate organ swaps on a grander, more complex scale.
Our team works with scientists and researchers to devise new methods to reduce the use of immunosuppressant drugs, develop better organ-assist devices and more effective treatments to manage organs that are failing, as well as discover innovative ways to build synthetic organs in order to increase the number of available organs.
Comprehensive, Personalized Treatment Plans
Focusing on providing the highest level of care to patients needing life-saving transplant procedures
From the moment you walk into the Houston Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center, you feel the spirit of care and compassion that inspires everything we do. Our dedication to providing excellent clinical care, resources and support helps patients and their families face transplant surgery with confidence — through the entire process. We are here for you, as your doctors, your friends, your family.
Find Transplant Patient Resources ➝
Call Us to Get Started With Your Care Today
713.441.5451
Call Us to Get Started With Your Care Today
Request a Transplant Center Appointment
Request an Appointment
Request a Transplant Center Appointment
Share the Gift of Life by Donating Blood
Learn More
Share the Gift of Life by Donating Blood
Call Us to Get Started With Your Care Today
Call Us to Get Started With Your Care Today
713.441.5451
International patients please learn more
here
or call
1.713.441.2340
.
Our Transplant Specialists
Led by Dr. R. Mark Ghobrial, Houston Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center is home to some of the world’s finest and most experienced doctors in the areas of transplantation and advanced organ failure management. In 2025, the team completed 838 transplants across four organs, including 73 hearts, 83 lungs, 329 kidneys, 338 livers and several multi-organ transplants. Our center generated 149 living donor transplants and implanted 41 LVADs. We were the home for more than 8,300 new patient referrals for transplant evaluations and currently serve more than 2,000 patients with advanced diseases listed for transplantation.
Transplant Research & Clinical Trials
Our commitment to research and innovation in advanced organ failure management and transplant ensures patients will continue to receive the most innovative therapies for all organ transplants, including approaches that reduce transplant rejection, advance stem cell research and explore tissue regeneration. Our research team focuses on improving successful transplant outcomes by exploring innovative ways to improve transplant health and reduce transplant rejection while concurrently discovering methods to help avoid life-long dependency on rejection-halting immunosuppressive drugs. We are also actively involved in clinical trials, supported by our physicians, to find new forms of immunosuppression, strategies for reducing complications and new ways to fight post-operative infection.
Explore Our Clinical Trials
Care & Support Throughout Your Transplant Journey
At Houston Methodist, not only do we prioritize your care, but we are committed to providing you with unwavering emotional support. Your quality of life — from diagnosis and management through recovery and beyond — is our transplant teams’ purpose and mission. We are with you for the full journey, guiding with knowledge, compassion and world-class transplant treatment.
Patient Resources
We are committed to providing outstanding care, resources and support to help our patients and their families face transplant surgery with confidence — through the entire process.
Living Donors
Houston Methodist is among just a handful of liver transplant programs in the U.S. that performs living donor transplants, giving hope to patients who may otherwise not receive lifesaving organs.
Para Español
En Houston Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center, nuestro equipo de profesionales especializados en trasplante te brindará las respuestas y el tratamiento avanzado que requieres.
Transplant Patient Stories
Every transplant is a unique experience of hope that can bring reassurance to thousands of others. Many who have undergone transplants at Houston Methodist have shared their story. Whether you are a patient, a living donor or a patient’s loved one, your journey of hope and healing can raise awareness about this life-giving gift and bring reassurance to those who are currently waiting for a transplant. Here are some of their stories.
Multi-Organ Transplant: Tara's Story
Tara Goodwin was just seven months old when she was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. By the time she was 31, she was in need of a lung-liver transplant. At the time, fewer than 100 patients had ever undergone this type of multi-organ transplant. A year later, her lung capacity is 100% and she's enjoying her second chance at living life to the fullest.
Learn more
.
Lung Transplant: Dr. McKenzie's Story
When thoracic and congenital heart surgeon Dean McKenzie, MD needed a life-saving lung transplant, he turned to Houston Methodist. His transplant surgeon Erik Eddie Suarez, MD trained with Dr. McKenzie when he was a resident in this inspiring story.
Learn more
.
Living Kidney Donation: Tina and Christy's Story
Tina and Christy share a strong bond. After six years of being on dialysis, Tina needed a kidney transplant and Christy didn't hesitate to help.
Learn more
about their special bond.
Heart Transplant: Harvey's Story
When former NBA player Harvey Catchings underwent surgery for a rare heart condition, more issues were discovered and he was quickly hospitalized and put on the waiting list for a heart transplant.
Learn more
about his new teammates at Houston Methodist and what they went through together in his journey for a new heart.
How a Transplant Saved Both of Our Lives: The McBride Story
The journey for transplant patients is typically challenging, but Michael and Kris McBride faced more challenges than most in their years-long journey.
Learn more
about how they saved each other's lives along the way.
Transplant News & Events
Leading Medicine Blog — For Physicians
In The News — Recent Press
Events — Virtual & In-Person
Leading Medicine Blog — For Physicians
More Leading Medicine Articles
In The News — Recent Press
View All News
Events — Virtual & In-Person
See All Events
Transplant Frequently Asked Questions
According to the
United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS)
, if you have a medical condition that may cause one or more of your vital organs to fail, transplant may be a treatment option. A transplant is a surgical operation to give a functioning human organ to someone whose organ has stopped working or is close to failing. In some cases, a living person can donate all or part of a functioning organ. In other instances, the donor would be someone who has recently passed away.
The organs that can be transplanted are:
Liver
Kidney
Pancreas
Kidney-pancreas (can be transplanted at the same time)
Heart
Lung
Heart-lung (can be transplanted at the same time)
Intestine
Vascularized composite allografts, or VCAs, such as face, hand or uterus transplantation
Tissues, such as eyes, skin, bone, heart valves and tendons, can also be transplanted.
A transplant program must evaluate anyone who may wish to have a transplant, and health care professionals there would make the final decision about whether to accept that person as a candidate. You are not automatically listed for a transplant just because you’ve had contact with a transplant program.
Each transplant program makes its own decision about whether to accept someone for a transplant. The transplant team at each program has its own standards for accepting candidates.
Each team may view the same facts and information in different ways and make different decisions about listing a person for a transplant. So, if one program is not willing to accept you as a candidate, a different program may accept you. Source:
UNOS
You need to be referred by your doctor to a transplant center, where they will evaluate your medical condition to determine if you are a suitable candidate and then add you to the national waiting list if you qualify; this process typically involves contacting a transplant hospital, scheduling an evaluation appointment and undergoing thorough medical testing to assess your compatibility with a potential donor organ. Source:
UNOS
According to
UNOS
, while survival rates differ by organ type, the majority of transplant recipients survive at least one year post-transplant. Kidney recipients tend to have a higher one-year survival rate than heart-lung or intestine recipients. Patient survival rates decrease over time, but the rate of decrease generally slows after the first year.
According to
UNOS
, for most patients who need a transplant, the first step is to get on the national transplant waiting list. Most transplant candidates usually wait for some length of time because there are not enough organs for all who need them. To get on the national waitlist, follow these steps:
Receive a referral from your physician.
Contact a
transplant hospital
. Learn as much as possible about the 200+ transplant hospitals in the United States and choose one based on your needs, including insurance accepted, location, financial options and support group availability.
Schedule an appointment for evaluation to determine if you are a good candidate for transplant.
During the evaluation, ask questions to learn as much as possible about that hospital and its transplant team.
The hospital’s transplant team will decide whether you are a good candidate for transplant. Each hospital has its own criteria for accepting candidates for transplant. If the hospital’s transplant team determines that you are a good candidate for transplant, they will add you to the national waiting list. Your transplant hospital will notify you within 10 days to inform you about your date of listing.
According to
UNOS
, many people often think that the national organ transplant waitlist is a static list, like a grocery store checkout line. However, the waitlist is a dynamic, ever-changing pool of information. Where a patient may appear at any point depends on a number of variables about the organs available and about other people in similar need of a transplant. We run these donor and organ characteristics against the list of patients waiting for a transplant who match key factors for that specific organ. Since there is a shortage of organs suitable for donation as compared to the number of those waiting for a transplant, at UNOS we generate a new list for every available organ in order to make the best match for a successful transplant.
You will want to stay in close communication with your transplant hospital on your transplant status.
Learn more facts about the
waitlist and what to expect when waiting for a transplant
on Transplant Living.
According to
UNOS
, once you are added to the national organ transplant waitlist, you may receive an organ that day, or you may wait many years. Factors affecting how long you wait include how well you match with the donor, how sick you are, and how many donors are available in your local area compared to the number of patients waiting.
According to
UNOS
, when a transplant hospital adds you to the waiting list, it is placed in a pool of names. When an organ donor becomes available, all the patients in the pool are compared to that donor. Factors such as medical urgency, time spent on the waiting list, organ size, blood type and genetic makeup are considered. The organ is offered first to the candidate that is the best match.
According to
UNOS
, organ distribution frameworks are tailored toward each individual organ type, and every attempt is made to place donor organs. Learn more about
the future of organ allocation
.
With living donation, a living person donates an organ or part of an organ for transplantation. Most living donors donate one of their kidneys or a part of their liver. Much more rarely, living donors may donate other organs. Living organ donors make thousands of transplants possible every year.
Relatives, loved ones, friends and even individuals who wish to remain anonymous often serve as living donors to spare a patient a long and uncertain wait. In 2023, more than 6,900 transplants were made possible by living donors.
If you are considering living donation, it is critical to gather as much information as you can from various sources. Source:
UNOS
Almost any adult can be considered for living donation, provided he or she is in good health. While most are direct donors giving to a family member, loved one or acquaintance, some people become altruistic, or good Samaritan, donors by giving a kidney to anyone on the waiting list who is a match.
At Houston Methodist, living donors are as much our patients as those in need of transplant. Our goal is to ensure our living donors’ health, safety and interests at all times. All potential living donors at Houston Methodist undergo extensive education and medical and psychological evaluations before being approved. All living donors are assigned an independent living donor advocate, who prioritizes the donor’s needs and interests.
Visit the UNOS patient website,
Transplant Living
, to learn more about living donation.
If you would like to register to be a living donor at Houston Methodist’s Transplant Center, or learn more about living donation, visit our Living Donor Center.
The United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS) recommends these general steps on how to get started on becoming a living donor:
Contact a transplant hospital
If you know a person you would like to help through living directed donation, talk to him or her and contact the transplant program where the person is listed. If you would like to be a living non-directed donor, contact a transplant hospital of your choice to find out if they have this type of donation program. Visit the
OPTN Member Directory
for a complete list of transplant hospitals. When you contact transplant hospital staff, they will typically ask for your consent to begin a basic medical screening. With your consent, the transplant hospital staff will ask you questions about your medical history to find out if you have any conditions that would keep you from being a donor.
Have an initial screening
This initial screening is typically followed by a blood test to see if you are compatible with the intended transplant candidate. If you are not compatible with that person, you may have other options to donate. These options include
paired exchange
,
blood type incompatible donation or positive crossmatch donation
.
Get an independent donor advocate
Transplant hospitals are required to provide an independent donor advocate (IDA) or IDA team for all potential donors. Your IDA should not be part of the potential transplant recipient’s medical team. The IDA will assist you during the donation process.
According to the
United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS)
, the transplant recipient’s insurance will cover your medical expenses as a donor, such as the evaluation, surgery, and limited follow-up tests and medical appointments. However, the recipient’s insurance may or may not cover follow-up services for you if medical problems occur from the donation. Your own insurance may not cover these expenses either.
An organ donor chain begins when a donor without a specific recipient donates an organ to a transplant recipient. The recipient's donor then donates to another recipient, and so on and so on.
Each organ is carefully preserved using special solutions, packed on ice and for some organs — currently lungs and kidney — put on machines for safe transportation.
Unlike deceased donors, in a living organ donation, the donor decides who will receive their organ by either directing it to a specific person (a “directed donation”) or choosing to donate anonymously to someone on the transplant waiting list through a “non-directed donation” process; however, the final decision is always made in consultation with the transplant team to ensure compatibility and medical suitability.
Call us at
713.441.545
or fill out this
form
to request an appointment.
We can help you find local housing and transportation options to ensure that you and your family members travel and stay in comfort. Learn more about our services designed for those
traveling from outside of Texas
or
outside the United States
.
To learn if we accept your insurance, please visit Houston Methodist’s
Insurance page
. Each of our locations has its own set of accepted insurance plans, so it is important you check prior to any procedure. Billing information for each location is also available.
Information about parking at our Transplant Center at Houston Methodist Hospital in the Texas Medical Center can be found
here
.
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