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Patient information letter

View letter transplant hospitals provide to notify patients, as required by OPTN policy.

View letter

Get involved

Volunteer with the OPTN

Every 10 minutes, someone is added to the transplant waiting list. As a member of the donation and transplant community you have an impact on the lives of these people every day.

Get involved

Patients

Today, the success of the U.S. organ transplantation system requires the cooperation of many people and highly sophisticated technology. And it is all dependent on gifts of selfless generosity from donors and families who have chosen to enhance the lives of others through organ donation.

Resources by organ

Spanish resources

Trasplantes pediátricos Para padres y cuidadores de niños que necesitan un trasplante.

Listado múltiple Preguntas frecuentes sobre listados múltiples y transferencia del tiempo de espera.

Donación en vida Preguntas frecuentes sobre la donación de órganos en vida.

Cómo encontrar un donante vivo Información que se solicita habitualmente sobre cómo encontrar un donante vivo.

Sistema de asignación de riñones Información que se solicita habitualmente sobre la asignación de riñones.

Sistema de asignación de hígados Información que se solicita habitualmente sobre la asignación de hígados.

Donación renal cruzada Preguntas frecuentes sobre el Programa Piloto de la Donación Renal Cruzada (KPDPP).

Sistema de asignación de corazones Preguntas frecuentes sobre la asignación de corazones.

Evaluación e ingreso en la lista para trasplante de riñón Preguntas frecuentes sobre la evaluación y el ingreso en la lista para trasplante de riñón.

Asignación de páncreas, páncreas y riñón simultáneamente e islotes Preguntas frecuentes sobre asignación de páncreas, páncreas y riñón simultáneamente e islotes.

About transplantation

Find a transplant hospital

History of transplantation

Read about the history of organ donation and transplantation.

History of transplantation

The transplant team

A successful organ transplant requires the coordination of many people and organizations.

The transplant team

Transplant process

Transplant data show that more and more people receive transplants every year and that many people with transplants are living longer than ever before.

Transplant process

How organ allocation works

Matching is the key to connecting individuals waiting for a life-saving transplant with compatible donor organs.

How organ allocation works

Multiple listing

Find answers to frequently asked questions about multiple listing and waiting time transfer.

Multiple listing

Pediatric transplant

A guide for when your child needs a transplant.

Pediatric transplant

About donation

OPTN glossary

Overview of organ donation

Advances in transplantation science are helping to save more lives than ever.

Overview of organ donation

Deceased donation

The donation process begins with a decision. You decide you want to help people with end-stage disease by donating your organs when you die.

Deceased donation

Living donation

Living donation offers another choice for transplant candidates, and it extends the supply of organs.

Living donation

Kidney paired donation

Kidney paired donation (KPD) is a transplant option for those waiting for a kidney transplant. It is for patients who have a willing living donor.

Kidney paired donation

How organs are matched

When transplant hospitals accept patients onto the waiting list, the patients are registered in a centralized, national computer network that links all donors and transplant candidates.

How organs are matched