Pediatric Liver Transplant Waiting List

Waiting for a pediatric liver transplant can be an uncertain time for families. Understanding how the process works can help you and your child prepare for the steps ahead.

What is the national transplant waiting list?

The national transplant waiting list helps match donated organs with people who need them. The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) works with transplant centers across the country to manage the national transplant waiting list. Before a child can be added to the waiting list, they must undergo a thorough evaluation by a transplant center to determine their eligibility for transplantation.

How does my child get on the Children’s Hospital Colorado waiting list?

The first step is to schedule an evaluation with our Pediatric Liver Transplant Program. Our transplant team will meet with you and your child after their evaluation to discuss the next steps. If transplant surgery is a good option, we will add your child to the Children’s Colorado liver transplant waiting list.

How does the pediatric liver transplant waiting list work?

Our transplant team securely submits the required medical information to UNOS when we add your child to the waitlist. When a donor liver becomes available, UNOS reviews the waitlist for patients who match the donor organ.

Each donor liver creates a new match list. For that reason, your child does not have a permanent number or position on the waiting list.

Can my child be on more than one pediatric liver transplant waiting list?

Yes. We can add your child to our waiting list even if they are already listed on another program’s list.

When a donor liver becomes available, UNOS first considers patients in the local area and surrounding region. If they do not find a match nearby, they look for patients farther away.

Because each transplant center serves a specific geographic area, listing your child at multiple centers may allow them to receive organ offers from a larger area. This can help increase their chance of getting an organ sooner.

Learn about how this Texas family listed their daughter at Children's Colorado and received a donated liver less than a month later

Who decides when a child gets a liver?

UNOS helps make sure donated organs are matched fairly, based on:

• How urgently a child needs a transplant
• How well the child matches the donor liver

The Pediatric End-Stage Liver Disease (PELD) score helps decide which children get offered a donor liver. The PELD score uses medical information to assess the severity of a child’s liver disease. A higher score usually means a child needs a transplant more urgently.

While your child is on the waiting list, the transplant team closely monitors their health. They send updated information to UNOS whenever your child’s condition changes.

What is the average wait time for a pediatric liver transplant at Children’s Colorado?

Our pediatric liver transplant program has the shortest average wait time in the country. Children’s Colorado patients typically wait about 1.5 months for a liver, compared to 4.6 months nationwide.*

Your child’s wait time will depend on many factors, such as:

• How many other children are waiting for a liver
• How sick your child is
• What size liver your child needs
• Whether a donor liver is a good medical match for your child
• Whether your child gets a deceased-donor or living-donor liver transplant

What happens while my child waits for a liver?

Waiting for a liver transplant can feel stressful and unpredictable. Your transplant team helps your child stay as healthy as possible during this time. Your child’s transplant team will also make sure you have all the detailed information you need before your child’s liver transplant surgery.

Learn more about the pediatric liver transplant process, including how to prepare for your child’s transplant.

*Source: Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR), July 2026 Program-Specific Report