I had a pancreas transplant nearly 17 years ago. It was not at a Mayo transplant center. At the time, the coordinator told me there was an organ available with a 3 out of 6 match. Nothing was said about the “quality” of the match or anything as detailed as what @estrada53 provided above. There was no such thing as a portal. I asked the coordinator my all time favorite question “if it were you, would you do this?”. She responded “yes, this is a good match”.
The pre-transplant evaluation seemed great at the time. I was thrilled with the transplant itself. Post transplant I was followed with labs to watch for signs of rejection. These were decreased over time from daily to once every three months. I felt I was being followed pretty well (for about 6 months to a year). Then I realized that my coordinators had been changed with no notification. One of them wouldn’t even tell me her last name or contact info. They did not know who I was, where I was from, who my local providers were or even what kind of transplant I had had! I had 3 lab tests in a row that showed that my immune suppression was undetectable. This didn’t seem right at all and I had to contact them to ask if a dose change was in order. When my 1 year post transplant anniversary approached I figured I must be due for a follow up or check up of some sort. I had to contact the center to inquire about it. They did not know what I was asking or why. I was told they could schedule an appointment for me if I wanted. A post transplant biopsy wasn’t a thing at all. I’ve never had one!
Fast forward to more recent times. I will need dialysis &/or a kidney transplant at some point. I have switched to Mayo in Rochester. There is no comparison between the pre-transplant evaluation there and the previous transplant center (so thorough and comprehensive). I expect the transplant itself and follow up care (when the time comes) will far exceed my previous transplant experience in quality.