Heart Transplant Waiting List | Penn Medicine (2024)

If the heart transplant team decides you are eligible for a heart transplantation and you agree, we place you on the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) waiting list. We understand the wait can be stressful for you and your family. Our team is here to provide support and guidance through this uncertain time.

How Long Is the Waitlist for a Heart Transplant?

The wait for a heart transplant ranges from days to months. Some people wait years. How long you wait depends on many factors, including:

• How sick you are: Patients who are more critically ill receive priority as donor hearts become available. Patients who have a stable condition usually wait the longest.
• Antibodies: Your body produces antibodies to fight infections and foreign invaders. If you have a high level of antibodies, you may reject organs from certain donors. This possibility of rejection limits the pool of compatible donors and may increase your wait time.
• Blood type: Your blood type (A, B, AB or O) must match the donor heart. People with blood type AB are universal recipients and can receive a heart transplant from a donor with any blood type.
• Body size: The donor heart must be similar in size to your current heart to fit inside your chest cavity and pump blood effectively. If you are smaller or larger than average, your wait time may be slightly longer.
• Number of donors in the area: There's a limit to the length of time a heart can be outside the body. We can only receive hearts within a 250 nautical mile radius, or 290 land miles, of the donor hospital.

How Do You Get on the Heart Transplant Waiting List?

UNOS coordinates organ transplants in the U.S. and matches donors and recipients. You are placed on the waiting list when our team submits your medical information to UNOS.

Through UNOS, you can be on waiting lists at multiple centers. However, we do not offer this option due to the comprehensive care we provide while you wait. If you want to pursue multiple listings, we will not list you at Penn Medicine.

Heart Transplant Status Levels

The status levels for heart transplants vary by how sick you are. We assign you a level using UNOS criteria. The status levels include:

• Status 1: Critically ill and on mechanical support
• Status 2: In the hospital on mechanical support or with severe ventricular arrhythmias
• Status 3: In the hospital and having complications with a ventricular assist device (VAD)
• Status 4: Stable with a VAD or a serious heart condition, such as congenital heart disease or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
• Status 5: In need of a dual heart transplant (heart-lung, heart-liver, heart-kidney) and do not meet criteria for status levels 1 to 4
• Status 6: Stable without a need for mechanical support or IV medications
• Status 7: Inactive

What to Expect While You Wait for a Heart

You are not alone while you wait. Our heart transplant team is by your side to help you manage your condition until a heart becomes available.

Many people waiting for a heart transplant spend their time in the hospital. In this case, you receive around-the-clock care to ensure your condition is stable when the time for transplant surgery comes.

If you are waiting at home, you can take steps to make sure you are ready for heart transplant surgery, such as:

Stay in Touch

Keeping us up-to-date about your health and contact information helps us stay prepared for your transplant. Be sure to:

• Attend follow up appointments in our transplant clinic or with your heart failure physician, depending on your status level
• Inform us if your contact information or insurance changes
• Let us know about any changes in your health or medications
• Notify us in advance if you are leaving the area so we can temporarily update your status level to inactive

Focus on Your Physical and Mental Health

A healthy diet and regular exercise can help speed up recovery after transplant.

It's also important to find ways to manage the stress of waiting and stay positive. Our pre-transplant coordinators and social workers are available to help. Find out more about our heart transplant support services.

Prepare for Surgery

When we call to tell you a heart is available, you need to get to the hospital right away. To ensure you are ready, we advise you to:

• Carry a cell phone at all times so we can contact you
• Make arrangements for transportation to the hospital ahead of time
• Pack your bags in advance, including a 24-hour to 48-hour supply of medication
• Set up an advanced directive and identify a power of attorney

Waiting for a Heart Transplant: The Penn Medicine Advantage

The Penn Heart Transplant Program has guided more than 1,500 patients through the transplant process. We know how to help families through this difficult time. While you wait, we provide:

• Critical care: Our acute care teams provide constant monitoring for people who need heart failure support while waiting for a heart transplant.
• Waitlist clinics: Our advanced heart failure team closely follows patients in a clinic dedicated to managing your care while you are on the transplant waitlist.
• On-call assistance: You have experts at your fingertips with our 24/7 call line.
• Patient-centered approach: We spend time getting to know you and your family and share your challenges and successes.
• Frequent check-ins: Our transplant-specific social workers check on you routinely and connect you with support services.

After a Long Wait, Gary Finally Received a Heart Transplant

For Gary, heart failure was a slow decline that finally led to hospitalization. He spent months in the hospital waiting and trying to keep his spirits up, even when the first donor heart turned out to be a false match. Read Gary's story and how his support system helped him through.

Make an Appointment

Please call 800-789-7366 or request a callback.