Pancreas Transplant Program

Pancreas transplantation is sometimes performed in patients with Type 1 diabetes mellitus (childhood onset). It is performed so that the complications of Type 1 diabetes mellitus can be avoided, halted, or delayed, especially life-threatening unawareness of low blood sugars.

Pancreas transplantation can be performed along with a deceased donor kidney (simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplant, SPK). It can also be performed after a kidney transplant (pancreas after kidney, PAK), and in some cases, before the native kidneys fail.

Candidates for pancreas transplant are evaluated in the same way as kidney transplant candidates. Candidates for pancreas transplantation must be free of significant coronary artery disease (heart attack), cerebrovascular disease (stroke) and peripheral vascular occlusive disease (poor circulation).

Once the pancreas is successfully transplanted, it will produce the insulin that the body needs to keep the blood sugar at normal levels. The pancreas will also continue to produce digestive enzymes. These will drain into the organ to which the pancreas is attached at the time of the operation. This most likely will be the intestine, but sometimes, the bladder is used instead.

Pancreas transplantation is not done in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (adult onset). Although these patients have trouble making enough insulin, these patients also have a decreased sensitivity to insulin. Insulin resistance is a problem that a pancreas transplant cannot correct. These patients would continue to have Type 2 diabetes mellitus even if they received a pancreas transplant.