How are recipients matched to the donor?
Individuals waiting for organ transplants are listed by the transplant center in their area. Their names then go into a national computerized waiting list of potential transplant recipients in the United States maintained by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). When an individual or a family consents to donation, UNOS is accessed and made aware of the donor. Information about the donor, i.e. their height, weight, blood type, etc. are entered into UNOS and a list of potential recipients that match with that specific donor is generated. Potential recipients are ranked based on geography, degree of match with the donor, severity of their illness and other factors. The AOC uses that list to identify the recipients for a specific donor.
