Skip to Content
800-533-8762
  • Careers
  • Newsroom
  • Health Care Professionals
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
UPMC
  • Find a Doctor
  • Services
    • Frequently Searched Services
    • Frequently Searched Services
      Allergy & Immunology Behavioral & Mental Health Cancer Ear, Nose & Throat Endocrinology Gastroenterology Heart & Vascular Imaging Neurosciences Orthopaedics
      Physical Rehabilitation Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Primary Care Senior Services Sports Medicine Telemedicine Transplant Surgery Walk-In Care Weight Management Women’s Health
      See all Services
    • Services by Region
    • Find a UPMC health care facility close to you quickly by browsing by region.
      UPMC in Western Pa. Western Pa. and New York
      UPMC in Central Pa. Central Pa.
      UPMC in North Central Pa. North Central Pa.
      UPMC in Western Md. Maryland & West Virginia
    • See All Services
  • Locations
    • Locations by Type
    • Locations by Type
      UPMC hospitals
      Hospitals
      Physical Therapy
      Physical Therapy
      Urgent care
      Walk-In Care
      UPMC Outpatient Centers
      Outpatient Centers
      UPMC Imaging Services
      Imaging
      Community Health Centers
      Community Health Centers
      See All Locations
    • Locations by Region
    • Locations by Region
      UPMC in Southwest Pa. Southwest Pa.
      UPMC in North Central Pa. North Central Pa.
      UPMC in Northwest Pa and Ny. Northwest Pa. & Western N.Y.
      UPMC in West Central Pa. West Central Pa.
      UPMC in Central Pa. Central Pa.
      UPMC in Western Md. Maryland & West Virginia
    • See All Locations
  • Patients & Visitors
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
      Patients and Visitors Resources Pay a Bill Classes & Events Medical Records Health Library Patient Information
      Patient Portals Privacy Information Shared Decision Making Traveling Patients Visitor Information
      Man uses mobile phone
      Pay a Bill
      Nurse reviews medical chart
      Request Medical Records
  • Patient Portals
  • Find Covid-19 updates
  • Schedule an appointment
  • Request medical records
  • Pay a bill
  • Learn about financial assistance
  • Find classes & events
  • Send a patient an eCard
  • Make a donation
  • Volunteer
  • Read HealthBeat blog
  • Explore UPMC Careers
Skip to Content
UPMC
  • Patient Portals
  • For Patients & Visitors
    • Find a Doctor
    • Locations
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
    • Pay a Bill
    • Services
    • More
      • Medical Records
      • Financial Assistance
      • Classes & Events
      • HealthBeat Blog
      • Health Library
  • About UPMC
    • Why UPMC
    • Facts & Stats
    • Supply Chain Management
    • Community Commitment
    • More
      • Financials
      • Support UPMC
      • UPMC Apps
      • UPMC Enterprises
      • UPMC International
  • For Health Care Professionals
    • Physician Information
    • Resources
    • Education & Training
    • Departments
    • Credentialing
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Newsroom
  • UPMC >
  • Our Services >
  • Transplant Services >
  • ... >
  • Lung Transplant >
  • Lung Transplant Process >
  • Lung Transplant Waiting List
Transplant Services
About Us
Heart Transplant
Intestinal Transplant
Kidney Transplant
Liver Transplant
Lung Transplant
Who Is a Candidate?
Lung Transplant Process
Transplant Evaluation
Before Your Transplant
Lung Transplant Waiting List
Your Transplant Surgery
After Your Transplant
Frequently Asked Questions
Your Transplant Team
Patient Stories
Contact Us
Pancreas Transplant
Multi-Organ Transplant
Patient Resources
Pediatric Transplant
Referring a Patient
Become a Living Donor
Your Transplant Team
Request an Appointment
Transplant Services
About Us
Heart Transplant
Intestinal Transplant
Kidney Transplant
Liver Transplant
Lung Transplant
Who Is a Candidate?
Lung Transplant Process
Transplant Evaluation
Before Your Transplant
Lung Transplant Waiting List
Your Transplant Surgery
After Your Transplant
Frequently Asked Questions
Your Transplant Team
Patient Stories
Contact Us
Pancreas Transplant
Multi-Organ Transplant
Patient Resources
Pediatric Transplant
Referring a Patient
Become a Living Donor
Your Transplant Team
Request an Appointment

Chat Keywords List

  • cancel or exit: Stops your conversation
  • start over: Restarts your current scenario
  • help: Shows what this bot can do
  • terms: Shows terms of use and privacy statement
  • feedback: Give us feedback
Continue
Chat with UPMC
RESTART
MENU
CLOSE

Lung Transplant Waiting List

Once your UPMC transplant coordinator calls to let you know that you're on the lung transplant waiting list, the next phase of your journey begins.

Lung Transplant Waiting List Criteria and Requirements

The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) makes the lung allocation rules.

Lung transplant candidates, ages 12 and older, will receive a lung allocation score between 0 and 100.

The lung allocation score determines your priority on the waiting list. Factors that contribute to your lung allocation score can be found on this UNOS (United Network for Organ Sharing) form.

The higher your lung allocation score, the higher your priority becomes for receiving a donor lung when one is available.

Lung transplant waiting list time factors

Wait times for a lung transplant vary due to factors such as:

  • Blood type and chest size
  • A shortage of donor lungs
  • Lung allocation score
  • Sensitization status - whether there are pre-formed antibodies against a potential donor.

You can learn more about lung allocation and waiting times for transplant recipients from UNOS.

Staying Close to UPMC While on the Lung Transplant Wait List

While you're on the lung transplant waiting list, you may need to relocate to Pittsburgh or arrange for a medical flight so that you can arrive at UPMC within the established time frame.

When a lung becomes available, you need to get to UPMC within four hours.

Family House provides an affordable "home away from home" for lung transplant patients and their families. This is not a medical facility.

Lung transplant support and follow-up

Once you are on the waiting list, your lung transplant coordinator will schedule you for follow-up appointments based on your personal needs.

You will need to check in with your transplant coordinator at a minimum of every two weeks and come to UPMC at least every three months so the team can assess your condition. It's vital to keep your follow-up appointments.

When your lung allocation score reaches 50 or more, your lung transplant team will need to update your wait list status every two weeks. This can be done via phone.

Becoming Inactive on the Lung Transplant Waiting List

Please inform your lung transplant coordinator if you will be more than four hours away from UPMC.

We will update your status to "inactive" on the lung transplant list during your travel. Upon returning to the area and being available for potential donor offers, your status will then change back to "active."

We may also need to place you on inactive status if other health issues arise while you're waiting for a donor lung, or if you are unable to comply with the wait list rules. You will not be penalized if you choose to change your status to inactive.

When Donor Lungs Become Available

When donor lungs become available and allocated to you, your transplant coordinator will call you with instructions on what needs to happen.

While you travel to the hospital, the UPMC lung transplant team will continue to evaluate the donor lungs. If the lungs are a match, you will prepare for surgery when you arrive at the hospital. If the team finds that the organ isn’t right for you, we will send you home and contact you when a new set of lungs becomes available.

UPMC
200 Lothrop Street Pittsburgh, PA 15213

412-647-8762 800-533-8762

Patients And Visitors
  • Find a Doctor
  • Locations
  • Pay a Bill
  • Patient & Visitor Resources
  • Disabilities Resource Center
  • Services
  • Medical Records
  • No Surprises Act
  • Price Transparency
  • Financial Assistance
  • Classes & Events
  • Health Library
Health Care Professionals
  • Physician Information
  • Resources
  • Education & Training
  • Departments
  • Credentialing
Newsroom
  • Newsroom Home
  • Inside Life Changing Medicine Blog
  • News Releases
About
  • Why UPMC
  • Facts & Stats
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Community Commitment
  • Financials
  • Supporting UPMC
  • HealthBeat Blog
  • UPMC Apps
  • UPMC Enterprises
  • UPMC Health Plan
  • UPMC International
  • Nondiscrimination Policy
Life changing is...
Follow UPMC
  • Contact Us
  • Website/Email Terms of Use
  • Medical Advice Disclaimer
  • Privacy Information
  • Active Privacy Alerts
  • Sitemap
© 2025 UPMC I Affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences Supplemental content provided by Healthwise, Incorporated. To learn more, visit healthwise.org
Find Care
Providers
Video Visit
Portal Login