Information about Donation and Transplantation

Shortage of Organs
There is a critical shortage of organs in the United States. Visit this section for statistics that illustrate the shortage as well as to obtain information about how you can Donate Life.

Organ Donation
Who can be an organ donor and under what conditions? The answers to these questions as well as the benefits of donation and information about the law that provides Americans the right to donate organs and tissue for transplantation are covered here.

Living Donors/Living Donation
The facts about living donation, including information about the surgical procedures, risks and positive aspects of living donation, and costs. Data concerning living donation can be found in the Data section.

Transplant Process
Learn about the roles of the medical professionals on transplant teams, factors that effect the time a patient waits for an organ and options available to transplant candidates.

History of Transplantation
A brief history of transplantation including a timeline of major milestones in the history of transplantation such as the first successful transplant for each organ.

Organ Matching Process
This section describes the organ matching process from the time a patient is added to the waiting list until the organ is transported. The role of Organ Procurement Organizations is also covered.

Bioethics
Copies of white papers written by the OPTN/UNOS ethics committees over the last decade on topics such as presumed consent, financial incentives, and organ donation from condemned prisoners.

Myths
Common myths that typically prevent some people from becoming organ donors and the corresponding facts.

Information about the OPTN:

History
A brief history of the OPTN.

Profile
A description of the responsibilities and members of the OPTN.

Information about Policies:

Organ Allocation Policy
All current OPTN policies including allocation policy (Policy 3) for each organ.