UW Liver Transplant Committee Information on Recipient Selection

April 30, 2008

In response to recent news stories about candidate selection for liver transplantation:


Although we can't speak specifically about this patient's case due to patient privacy laws, what the Liver Transplant Committee can tell you is this:

Although medical marijuana may be an issue in rare cases, it is never the sole determinant in arriving at medical decisions about candidates for organ transplants, and whether a patient is listed. UW Medical Center follows an extensive evaluation process to determine whether organ transplant candidates should be listed. Patients with a reasonable chance of survival and a good outcome, given a variety of factors, are listed.

Currently, in a given year, there are approximately 98,000 patients waiting for organs in the U.S. and only 6,000 donors available. Because of this scarcity of organs, the listing process is often rigorous. Those patients who have done -- and continue to do --everything they need to ensure a healthy lifestyle pre-and post-transplant will have the best chance of a good outcome.

The Liver Transplant Committee looks at all health care issues to comprehensively evaluate the patient from a medical and psychosocial standpoint. In addition, the committee looks at a number of other issues, including behavioral concerns such as a history of substance abuse or dependency.  If such a history exists, then the Committee looks at the period of abstinence the candidate has demonstrated to date, efforts made to maintain this abstinence, and the potential to abuse again.  The Committee also factors in the patient’s long-term history of social stability and ongoing medical compliance, as these are the best predictors to maintain graft survival following transplant.