Dual Listing
When you or a loved one needs a transplant, the wait for a match can seem endless. The transplant teams at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital and SSM Health St. Louis University Hospital both allow dual listing to increase your chance for a match. Dual listing, sometimes called multiple listing, means that you are added to the waiting list at more than one transplant center.
We understand that this process can be overwhelming. That’s why our dedicated transplant teams are here to support you every step of the way. Please don’t hesitate to call us with any questions or concerns you have:
- Adult transplant: 314-257-8310
- Pediatric transplant: 314-577-5351
How Transplant Candidates Are Matched With Donors
If your doctor has recommended an organ transplant, you’ll be evaluated by a transplant center. Each transplant center can decide whether or not to accept a transplant candidate. Once you are accepted, the wait for a match begins.
The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) oversees the use of donor organs and sets guidelines that determine whether a candidate is a match for a donor organ. Your priority is determined by:
- The urgency of your case
- How the donor matches your body size and blood and tissue type
- The sensitivity of your immune system
- How long you’ve been waiting
- The distance between the donor and the transplant hospital
Benefits of Dual Listing
The distance between a potential donor and the transplant hospital is a key factor in determining whether an organ is a match for you. That’s because the chances of a successful transplant go down the longer an organ needs to be preserved outside of the donor’s body. Patients at transplant centers local to the donor are usually considered first. As a result, dual listing or multiple listing may increase your chances for a successful match and reduce the length of time you need to wait.
Because the OTPN considers all candidates in the local area when an organ becomes available, there is no benefit to dual listing at transplant centers in the same geographic area.
Things to Consider Before Dual Listing
While dual listing may increase your chance of a match, you should consider the following before deciding to list with more than one transplant center:
- Do all of the programs you’re considering allow dual listing? Some transplant programs do not accept dual listed patients.
- Can you comply with all of the program requirements? This may include getting to the transplant center within a certain time frame should an organ become available.
- Will your insurance cover the cost of any additional evaluations? Every hospital has different processes for adding patients to their waiting lists, and your insurance may not cover the required tests.
- How will you pay for the cost of travel and lodging if you are considering a hospital far from where you live?
- How will your follow-up care be managed if you choose a hospital far from home?
Dual listing can help you get the life-saving care you need as soon as possible. The transplant teams at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital and SSM Health St. Louis University Hospital can help you answer these questions, so you can decide if dual listing is right for you. We also offer several financial and housing resources to help make the process easier.
Please call our transplant teams if you have any questions about dual listing or to get started on the process:
- Adult transplant: 314-257-8310
- Pediatric transplant: 314-577-5351
We are here for you every step of the way.