 Every 10 minutes someone is added to the national waiting list for an organ transplant. Right here in Maryland there are about 3,500 people waiting for a transplant. So clearly the need for organs is great. At the University of Maryland Medical Center our goal is to get as many patients as possible transplanted with life-saving organs. This is why we are now asking patients to consider an organ from a hepatitis C infected donor. Previously many centers would not use organs from donors with hepatitis C infection because hepatitis C was difficult to treat. Now new medications have become available that can cure hepatitis C. As a result transplant centers are now considering the use of hepatitis C positive donor organs. The reason is because the infection can be cured and choosing an organ from a hepatitis C infected donor can lead to shorter wait times on the transplant list. Hepatitis C is a viral infection that impacts the liver. Hepatitis C is spread through contaminated blood. Hepatitis C infection used to be very hard to treat but that is not the case anymore. Now new medications are available that are typically taken for 8 to 12 weeks and can cure hepatitis C infection. In fact in many clinical studies greater than 95% of people who took these new medications were cured of hepatitis C. Recent studies show that if you accept a non-liver organ from a hepatitis C non-viremic donor you have a less than 1% chance of contracting hepatitis C infection. Hepatitis C virus can be detected within a few days up to a week after transplantation. If hepatitis C virus is detectable in your blood you will meet with infectious disease doctors and or liver doctors who specialize in treating hepatitis C infection. They will work with you to determine the best treatment course. Because this is a newer type of transplant we are working with insurance companies to be sure the costs of medications to treat hepatitis C are covered. There is always the possibility that the insurance company will not pay for the medications to treat hepatitis C. Even though organs from hepatitis C infected donors were sparingly used in the past recent studies show that organs transplanted from hepatitis C infected donors into hepatitis C negative recipients work well. These studies also show that hepatitis C infection in the recipient should it develop can be cured. If you consent to receiving an organ from a hepatitis C non-viremic donor or a hepatitis C viremic donor you are placed on an additional UNOS waiting list for that organ. Our goal for you is to have a safe and effective transplant as soon as possible. If you do not want to accept organs from hepatitis C infected donors that is absolutely fine and this decision will in no way impact your listing status for an organ at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Choosing an organ from a hepatitis C infected donor can be a good option to get transplanted sooner. We encourage you to talk to your transplant team to see if a hepatitis C infected donor is a good choice for you.