Once it is determined that you need a heart transplant, you will be placed on a national organ waiting list maintained by the United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS). UNOS has the responsibility of matching donors with recipients nationwide based on:

  • Blood type 
  • Medical Urgency 
  • Patient Size 
  • Stability of Vital Signs 

Waiting times vary from days to months, depending on organ availability and your condition. Patients who become very ill while on the waiting list may require a ventricular assist device (LVAD) as a bridge to transplant. During the time you are waiting for a transplant, you will be required to stay within two hours travel time from the hospital. When a donor heart becomes available, you will receive a call and you must come to the hospital as soon as possible.

Where Does a Donor Heart Come From?

Deceased heart donors must not have had significant health problems which affected their heart — the donor’s cause of death is usually an accident or sudden illness. Heart donors are screened and may be excluded for positive HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, cancer, or high-risk activity. Any high-risk donor characteristic will be discussed with you if you are a potential recipient for that donor heart. 

Heart donors must be 18 years old (or younger with parental consent) and there is no upper age limit. Donation eligibility depends on physical condition, not age. 

UNOS Listing Status

Patients who are waiting for a heart transplant are listed as a specific status type on the UNOS waiting list. There are 7 status types:

Status 1

Patients who cannot be discharged from the hospital, such as:

  • Patients with a Heart-Lung bypass machine (VA ECMO) or other surgically implanted temporary heart assistance devices such as biventricular support (BIVAD).
  • Patients with mechanical circulatory support devices who also have life threatening heart arrhythmias
Status 2

Patients who cannot be discharged from the hospital, such as:

  • Patients with certain surgically or percutaneous endovascular implanted temporary heart assistance devices or a total artificial heart (TAH).
  • Patients on mechanical circulatory support with device malfunction
  • Patients who have life threatening heart arrhythmias but are not on mechanical circulatory support
Status 3
  • Patients who are stable at home living with an LVAD receive 30 days at this status
  • Patients who are hospitalized and on continuous intravenous (IV) inotrope medications
  • Patients on mechanical circulatory support with specific complications
Status 4
  • Patients with mechanical circulatory support who can be discharged from the hospital
  • Support with continuous IV inotropic medications
  • Heart re-transplant
  • Congenital heart disease (CHD)
  • Ischemic heart disease with intractable angina
  • Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), restrictive cardiomyopathy, amyloidosis
Status 5

Patients who are waiting for at least one other organ at the same hospital

Status 6

Patients who do not meet the criteria listed in status 1-5

Status 7

These patients are considered temporarily inactive and do not accrue time on the waiting list

U.T.A.H. Cardiac Transplant Program

The Intermountain Heart Institute at Intermountain Medical Center is a member of The U.T.A.H. (Utah Transplantation Affiliated Hospitals) Cardiac Transplant Program, one of the most successful cooperative heart transplant programs in the nation. The program's unique model utilizes skill, expertise, and resources from four local hospitals:

  • Intermountain Heart Institute at Intermountain Medical Center 
  • Primary Children's Hospital 
  • University Health Care 
  • The George E. Wahlen Department of Veteran Affairs Medical Center