Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Program

New patients may contact our referral coordinators by completing this form, or by calling 703-776-6056. Referrals may also be initiated by a nephrologist, dialysis unit or insurance company.

Once a patient is accepted for transplantation, they are listed with the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), the national computer registration for all patients waiting for organs. UNOS sets policies and standards for all transplant centers across the United States. A transplant coordinator will call you when you are placed on the waiting list and an official listing letter will be sent to you, your nephrologist and dialysis center.

An annual evaluation at Inova Transplant Center is needed to monitor your health status while you wait for a transplant. In addition, a blood test (PRA) is needed from you or your dialysis unit every 30 to 90 days, depending on your personal medical history.

We recognize that transplantation can be an unsettling experience for patients and their families. We offer support groups, direct social work, psychiatric care and education. Pre-transplant patients and their families also have the opportunity to speak to other patients who have already been through the transplant process.

Organ offers are based on the following criteria, in this order: blood type of recipient, matching of tissue typing of recipient to donor and waiting time. There is no urgency status for kidney recipients. The average wait time for an organ from a deceased donor is between four and five years.

Kidneys can be donated by either a deceased donor or a living donor. We also perform pancreas transplants from deceased donors, combined kidney/pancreas transplants (K/P) and pancreas after kidney transplants (PAK).

Each time a patient on our kidney waitlist has a deceased donor organ offer, our transplant coordinators will review all important donor information with the potential recipient. All potential recipients have the right to decline any organ donor.

Learn more about living, deceased and directed donations

The decision to donate a kidney requires careful consideration. Kidney donors are special people, willing to share a gift that can only be given once to better another person's life.

Whether you are considering becoming a living donor for a family member, friend or someone you don’t know at all, we encourage you to contact our living donor coordinator by calling 703-776-8053 or by completing our online form. Our team is happy to provide as much information as possible to assist you in making this important decision.

Learn How to Become a Living Donor

Whether you are an organ transplant recipient or living donor, our team will accompany you through every step of your surgery and recovery process.

Learn more about the stages of care