What happens after you apply for an organ transplant?

Published 9 August 2026 · health

Inside India’s complex journey from transplant registration to surgery The process starts at the transplant centre What being on the waiting list actually means Live

Inside India’s complex journey from transplant registration to surgery The process starts at the transplant centre What being on the waiting list actually means Live Kidneys lead India’s transplant numbers When a donor organ becomes available From brain-stem death to retrieval 4–6 hours for heart and lungs, 6–10 hours for intestine, 12–15 hours for liver, 12–24 hours for pancreas and 24–48 hours for kidneys India's transplant numbers are rising The gap between demand and supply remains How India’s transplant numbers have surged Foreign recipients are also part of the system Data shows organ transplants for foreign recipients in India Join conversation View All Comments → Share your thoughts in the comments Insightful Agree Disagree Skeptical Concerning Promising Worth Reading Big Development Post Comment Be respectful · TOI community guidelines The next stage is a more connected transplant system For a patient facing end-stage organ failure, being told that a transplant may be required is only the beginning. The journey from a hospital referral to an actual transplant involves medical evaluation, registration, documentation, waitlist management, organ matching, allocation and, eventually, surgery and long-term follow-up.In India, the process is coordinated through a network involving the Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO), regional and state-level bodies, registered transplant hospitals and transplant coordinators.The scale of that system has changed sharply. In a February 2026 release, the Press Information Bureau said India recorded nearly 20,000 organ transplants in 2025, compared with fewer than 5,000 in 2013. More than 1,200 families donated the organs of loved ones after death in 2025, the release said.Yet the numbers tell only part of the story. Behind every transplant is a sequence that begins long before the surgeon enters the operating theatre — and, for the recipient, often long before an organ is ever offered. Notto’s says patients are evaluated by a multidisciplinary team, registered through a transplant centre, verified by the relevant allocation body and, once cleared, placed on the appropriate waiting list.A patient with advanced organ failure is first referred to a licensed transplant centre. Doctors assess the underlying disease, the extent of organ damage and whether transplantation is medically appropriate.Not every patient with end-stage organ failure will necessarily be fit for transplantation.Talking about the initial evaluation before transplantation, Dr Manoj Gupta, senior director and HOD, liver transplant, Yatharth Super Speciality Hospital, said, “It typically includes a review of the patient’s medical history, physical examination, blood and tissue tests, imaging, assessment of organ function, infection screening and evaluation of any underlying conditions.