Deceased Donor Information

Inova Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Program

Whenever the family members of a terminally ill patient make the decision to donate their loved one's organs, the Washington Regional Transplant Community (WRTC), our area's local organ procurement organization, performs tests which help determine which organs can be donated.

If a kidney and/or pancreas is to be donated, WRTC alerts the local transplant centers. An algorithm is used to determine which patients on the transplant waitlists are best suited for this organ. The following information is used to create a list of patients for each organ offer:

• Blood type
• Matching of tissue typing between donor and recipient
• Wait time on the transplant waitlist
• Dialysis time

The transplant coordinator will call the patients who are at the top of this list to review the donor's information. The transplant center is not allowed to share the donor's name, race, or at which hospital they are receiving care. If the potential recipient accepts the organ, testing is then performed to ensure his or her body and immune system will accept this organ.

It is normal for a person on the waitlist to receive several calls for organ offers before they actually receive their kidney or pancreas transplant.

Directed donation

The family members of a terminally ill person may request that their loved one's organs be donated directly to a specific person on the kidney waitlist.