Listing and Waiting for Intestinal Transplantation
For those patients accepted for intestinal transplantation, the process of financial clearance and listing is undertaken. At UCLA, we accept most major government and third party insurance carriers. Approval through the patient’s insurance plan must be obtained prior to listing for transplantation. Once this is obtained, the patient is listed for the appropriate organs through the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS, www.unos.org). Each organ requires a separate listing and status. For a patient requiring a new liver, pancreas, and intestine, he will be listed for each organ separately with UNOS. The listing status is based upon how diseased an organ is and organs are distributed based upon the scoring systems in place.
Waiting times vary depending on the UNOS score for each patient, the organs required, the size of the patient, the blood type of the patient, and the degree of illness of the patient. In general, most patients wait from 3 months to 1 year for organs. This can vary from shorter to longer times depending on the individual. Listing for transplant does not guarantee that the appropriate organs can be found in a timely manner. During the wait for organs, patients must have a rapid and reliable system in place for being contacted and traveling to UCLA to prepare for transplantation. In general, patients will have 1 to 4 hours to arrive at the medical center once contacted that an organ has been offered to them. Families of those patients already in the hospital at the time of organ offered will be notified immediately.
Intestinal Transplant Links and Downloads
What is the Intestine: Introduction to Intestinal Transplantation
The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) provides a toll-free patient services lines to help transplant candidates, recipients, and family members understand organ allocation practices and transplantation data. You may also call this number to discuss problems you may be experiencing with your transplant center or the transplantation system in general. The toll-free patient services line number is 1-888-894-6361
