Waiting for Transplant

If the Emory heart transplant team and the patient agree that transplantation is the best medical option, the candidate is added to a national computerized waiting list.

The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) is the national agency that oversees organ allocations, and LifeLink of Georgia is the recovery agency in this state. Generally, the organ should match the recipient’s approximate size and blood group.

Many candidates can spend time waiting for a new heart at home. They have beepers to alert them when to come to the hospital for transplantation. Some candidates must wait in the hospital, often in the coronary care unit at Emory Hospital, because they are receiving intravenous medications under medical supervision or are on heart-assisting mechanical devices to help their hearts pump.

Priority on the waiting list is given to those candidates who are the sickest, have waited the longest and could benefit the most from a transplant. Waiting times are very unpredictable and can be several months to up to two years.

The Emory team will continue to monitor the patient during this waiting period and provide support for their heart condition.

Transplant Center