Transplant Resources and Support

Your transplant team at UPMC is dedicated to making your journey through the transplant process as smooth as possible.

A crucial part of this process is giving you and your loved ones information to help you understand what to expect at each stage of your transplant care.

Start Your Transplant Journey

Programs and resources to support you throughout the transplant process include:

Your UPMC Transplant Patient Binder

Our team has assembled a binder for you and your care partner to help you track your progress during your:

• Pre-transplant evaluation.
• Time on the national organ transplant waiting list.
• Transplant surgery.
• Follow-up care after your transplant.

Your UPMC Transplant Patient Binder will contain educational materials for your type of organ transplant, and may include:

• A Passport to Your Transplant — Explains the transplant evaluation process and helps you track your appointments and tests.
• What to Expect During Transplant Surgery — Describes risks and benefits, tests you will need, how to prepare for your transplant, and what to expect after your surgery.
• An After-Transplant Passport to Care — Includes details about your post-transplant team, what follow-up care you'll need, and where you will need to go for appointments.
• Organ Transplant Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) — Provides information about medications, blood pressure, swelling, infections, getting sick, finances, travel, and when to contact your transplant coordinator.

We also have these materials in languages other than English.

Transplant Guardian Angels

The UPMC Transplant Guardian Angels program at UPMC Presbyterian in Pittsburgh is staffed by dedicated team members who assist transplant patients and their care partners during the transplant process. These Angels act as a resource to help you navigate the hospital and your transplant paperwork.

They can also serve as liaisons between the transplant team and your care partners, making sure you’re not alone during your transplant journey.

Supportive Services for UPMC Patients and Care Partners

Financial considerations for transplantation

The cost of a transplant can vary. UPMC will assign you to a credit analyst who deals only with transplant referrals and transplant-related insurance benefits. Your dedicated credit analyst will let you know the cost of your transplant surgery, what your insurance will cover, and how much you will have to pay on your own.

Learn more about financial considerations for transplantation.

Lodging for transplant patients and care partners traveling to Pittsburgh

People traveling to UPMC for a pre-transplant evaluation or surgery will need to stay near the hospital for an extended period of time. In Pittsburgh, we partner with Family House to provide affordable lodging. It is not a medical facility.

There are several hotels within walking distance of UPMC Presbyterian.

Learn more about traveling to Pittsburgh for transplant services.

Resources for international transplant patients and families

We support transplant patients by coordinating their care before they arrive in the United States. In addition, UPMC transplant services are available at the Istituto Mediterraneo per i Trapianti e Terapie ad Alta Specializzazione (ISMETT) in Palermo, Italy. 

UPMC Living Donor Champion Program

Through the UPMC Living Donor Champion Program, we offer support and personal guidance to patients in need of a living donor. We start by encouraging patients to share their story with loved ones and members of their community so that a suitable living donor can be found.

Learn more about UPMC Living Donor Champion Program.

Resources for pediatric transplant patients and families

The Hillman Center for Pediatric Transplantation at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh has been at the forefront of pediatric transplantation since the program’s inception in 1981. We perform more organ transplants than any other pediatric transplant center in the United States, achieving patient survival rates that exceed national averages. Contact UPMC Children’s to learn more about services for blood and marrow, heart, intestine, kidney, liver, and lung transplantation.

Learn more about resources for pediatric transplant patients and families.

Online Transplant Resources

The following websites for transplant recipients and their caregivers provide organ transplant statistics and facts, frequently asked questions, and information on how to find support groups:

• Donate Life America — This not-for-profit alliance promotes increasing organ, eye, and tissue donation across the United States. Their website contains transplant recipients' stories, organ transplant facts, and an easy way to register to become a donor.
• Partners for Life Facebook Forum — This Facebook group is for caregivers of transplant recipients. It's a place to privately share personal stories and hear about what other caregivers are feeling.
• Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) — This organization supports the transplant community with analyses in an effort to improve patient outcomes and experiences. Through the evaluation of national data collected by the Organ Procurement and Transplant Network (OPTN), a network of transplant programs and organ procurement organizations, this program produces reports that provide wide-ranging information about transplant programs and their results. 
• TRIO (Transplant Recipients International Organization) — This nonprofit international group aims to improve the quality of life for transplant candidates, recipients, organ donors, and their families. Their website provides support, education, and additional resources. 
• United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) — This organization facilitates all organ allocations within the United States. Their comprehensive website provides transplant cost and financial information, as well as a thorough listing of questions that transplant recipients need to ask.
• UPMC & Donate Life Transplant Hub — This Facebook page is a partnership between Donate Life America and UPMC aimed at educating the public about organ donation and transplantation. 

Online resources by type of transplant include:

Heart transplant resources

• American Heart Association.

Intestinal transplant resources

• Intestinal Rehabilitation and Transplant Education | Transplant Unwrapped.
• The Oley Foundation.
• United Ostomy Associations of America, Inc.

Kidney transplant resources

• American Association of Kidney Patients.
• American Kidney Fund.
• National Kidney Foundation.
• National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse.
• Western Pennsylvania Kidney Support Groups.

Liver transplant and liver disease resources

• American Liver Foundation.
• Hepatitis B Foundation.
• International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders.
• Liver Health Connection.

Lung transplant resources

• American Lung Association.
• Boomer Esiason Foundation.
• Healthy Lungs Pennsylvania.
• Second Wind Lung Transplant Association. 

Pancreas transplant resources

• Boomer Esiason Foundation.