The Transplant Process - Kidney, Kidney/Pancreas, Liver

The transplant process can be broken into four major phases: evaluation, waiting period, surgery, and follow-up. 

 

Evaluation

 

Evaluation is the time when we are making sure the patient is a fitting candidate for a transplant.  The first visit is at the UW Hospital and Clinics.  You will meet with a transplant surgeon who will ask questions about your medical history.  If the surgeon decides you are a candidate for transplant, more tests and labs will be ordered.  You will also meet with a financial consultant, a transplant coordinator, a social worker, and a dietitian who will answer your questions and give you information.  Potential living donors may be identified during this phase.  They go through a separate evaluation to find out if they can donate an organ. 

 

Waiting period

 

If you are a transplant candidate and you wish to proceed, you are placed on the transplant waiting list of the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), a federal organization that is in charge of organ allocation.  This waiting period can last for days or years, based upon your own circumstance.  If a living donor has been identified, the patient will be scheduled for surgery when the donor’s work-up is complete.   

 

Surgery

 

This is the time when you receive the organ and recover in the hospital.  While recovering from the transplant, you will receive education about new medicines, self-care, and follow-up tests and clinic visits.

 

Follow-up

 

The follow-up care starts when you are go home from the hospital and goes on for the rest of your life.  A transplant is a lifelong commitment.  Lab testing, clinic visits, and more follow-up cares are required to ensure the transplant is working.  The transplant team provides lifelong support with the hope that, after transplant, you can return to a normal, active, and healthy life.

 

The information provided should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.

Last Updated: 09/17/2008

Copyright © 09/17/2008 University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority. All rights reserved. Produced by the Department of Nursing. UWH #6775

Print Health Fact For You