What Every Patient Needs to Know - UMC

Introduction to the Transplant Network: The Big PictureSection 1If an organ transplant is in the future for youor a loved one, you are not alone. Patients andtransplant professionals wrote this booklet tohelp you understand transplantation.If you are reading this for the first time, you mayfeel scared and confused. With so much informationto absorb, it may help to read this booklet withsomeone close to you. Keep a pen and paperhandy to write down questions to ask your healthcare team. The glossary in Section 7 explainssome of the terms.We’ll start with an overview. This section covers:• history of transplantation• the U.S. Organ Procurement andTransplantation Network (OPTN), which ismanaged by United Network for OrganSharing (UNOS)• process for matching patients withdonated organsLater sections will cover:• how to prepare for a transplant• what happens while you are on thetransplant waiting list• how a loved one can become a living donor• how to prepare a financial strategy• what to expect after your transplantUnderstanding TransplantationA Brief HistoryIn 1954, a kidney was the first human organ to betransplanted successfully. Liver, heart, and pancreastransplants were successfully performed by thelate 1960s, while lung and intestinal organtransplant procedures began in the 1980s.Until the early 1980s, the potential for organrejection limited the number of transplantsperformed. Medical advances in the preventionand treatment of rejection led to more successfultransplants and an increase in demand.More than 500,000 people have received transplantsin the U.S. More than 28,000 Americans receivethe gift of life each year.National Organ Transplant ActIn 1984, Congress passed the National OrganTransplant Act, which prohibited the sale ofhuman organs and called for a national networkto facilitate organ recovery and placement.The act created the OPTN and assignedit the task of developing equitable organdistribution policies.The Organ Procurement andTransplantation NetworkThe OPTN (http://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov) helpsto ensure the success and efficiency of the U.S.organ transplant system. Under federal law, allU.S. transplant centers and organ procurementorganizations (OPO) must be members of theOPTN to receive Medicare funds for transplant.Other members of the OPTN include tissue typinglabs; medical, scientific, and professionalorganizations; health and patient advocacyorganizations; and members of the generalpublic with an interest in organ donationand transplantation.4