The Past, Present, and Near Future of Lung Allocation in the United States

The first official donor lung allocation system in the United States was initiated by the United Network of Organ Sharing in 1990. The initial policy for lung allocation was simple with donor lungs allocated based on ABO match and the amount of time the candidates accrued on the waiting list. Donor offers were first given to candidates’ donor service area. In March 2005, the implementation of the lung allocation score (LAS) was the major change in organ allocation. International adoption of the LAS-based allocation system can be seen worldwide.