What does it take to qualify for an organ transplant in NC? There are many factors considered
The case of a North Carolina man saying he was denied an organ transplant because of his refusal to get vaccinated against COVID-19 has raised questions about eligibility for the procedure.
Requirements can vary by hospital and by the type of organ that’s being transplanted, but the national governing bodies for organ donation do offer some general guidelines.
Here’s what to know about it what it takes to be an organ donation recipient:
Organ transplant eligibility requirements
Transplant programs “must evaluate anyone who may wish to have a transplant,” according to the United Network for Organ Sharing, the nonprofit which administers the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network in the U.S.
The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, part of the federal Department of Health and Human Services, offers some “general considerations” for transplant centers to consider when making policies, such as life expectancy and a social support structure.
Still, UNOS says, “each transplant program makes its own decision about whether to accept someone for a transplant” and “each program has its own standards for accepting candidates.” One transplant program may deny a person who is then accepted by another.
Evaluations typically include blood tests, a review of your full medical history and psychological studies. Vaccination status, for COVID-19 and other diseases, is also often considered, because after transplants many have to take immunosuppressants.
Where you live can play a role in when you get an organ transplant, per UNOS. When organs become available, they’re “distributed locally first, and if no match is found they are then offered regionally, and then nationally, until a recipient is found.”
Other factors typically considered, according to UNOS, are “medical urgency, time spent on the waiting list, organ size, blood type and genetic makeup.” Depending on the type of organ, immune system matching and age may also be considered.
And medical conditions such as a “current or recent cancer diagnosis or morbid obesity” can prevent you from being accepted by some transplant programs.
Transplant centers in North Carolina
There are five transplant centers in North Carolina: Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, Duke University Medical Center in Durham, UNC Health Care in Chapel Hill, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem and Vidant Health in Greenville.
