Deceased-donor liver transplant
When living-donor liver transplant is not an option, deceased donor liver transplant may be the best option. The process for deceased-donor transplantation is:
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A donor is identified by the hospital staff at the donor hospital.
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The local Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) is notified, and an OPO representative is sent to the Donor Hospital to evaluate the donor.
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Once the donor has been evaluated and deemed transplantable, the donor family is approached for education and consent.
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If consent is obtained a match run list is given by The United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS). The match run list is an organ-specific ranking list that shows the patient’s name and what center they belong to. This is the organ allocation list; each organ has its own allocation system as well. This process will be discussed at length during your evaluation by the procurement coordinators.
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The OPO begins making organ offers at the top of the list by notifying the centers. Each center has a designated 24-hour call person to take the offer. A surgeon will make the ultimate decision to accept or decline an offer.
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If the organ is accepted, the organ procurement coordinators will notify the families and hospital staff. The procurement coordinators will accompany a surgeon and assist with organ procurement.
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Upon returning to Children’s Memorial, the organ procurement coordinators will be a means of communication between the operating room and the recipient family.