Pancreas transplant

Pancreas transplant is a surgical procedure to place a healthy pancreas from a deceased donor into a person whose pancreas no longer functions properly.

Indications

Pancreas transplant is usually performed on patients with Type 1 diabetes who have severe, life-threatening complications. Most commonly, it is done in conjunction with kidney transplant when the patient has kidney failure related to diabetes.

Procedure

The patient's diseased pancreas is left in place unless it is causing complications. The donated pancreas and portion of the donor's small intestine are surgically placed into the recipient's lower abdomen. The donor intestine is connected to either the recipient's intestine or bladder to drain pancreatic digestive juices. The donor pancreas is connected to blood vessels that also supply blood to the legs.

Risks

As with any major surgery, pancreas transplant surgery carries risks, including infection and bleeding. Additional risks associated with pancreas transplant include:

• Rejection of the donor pancreas
• Failure of the donor pancreas
• Side effects of anti-rejection medication, such as bone thinning (osteoporosis) and other problems

Prognosis

The prognosis after a pancreas transplant varies depending on the individual patient's health and the type of transplant performed.

See also

• Organ transplantation
• Diabetes mellitus
• Kidney transplant

Pancreas transplant Resources
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