Pancreas Transplant

Pancreas transplants are rare; in 2005, only 414 pancreas transplants were performed in the U.S.1 Why so few transplants? One reason is the scarcity of organ donors—the need for islets far outweighs the supply. Yet another stumbling block is the potential toxicity of the intensive regimen of immunosuppressive drugs required after a transplant. People with type 1 diabetes already have a compromised immune system, and these medications can further weaken it and increase their vulnerability to infection and illness.

More common than a straight pancreas transplant, but still relatively rare, is a concurrent pancreas and kidney transplant, with 880 procedures taking place in 2004. People with diabetes are at higher risk for kidney disease, and the prevalence of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is higher for these patients than for the population. If a patient already requires a life-saving kidney transplant due to diabetes-related kidney failure, their transplant team may recommend a tandem kidney-pancreas procedure since they will require immunosuppressive drugs anyway.

For more information on organ transplants, visit Transplant Living, a service of the United Network for Organ Sharing.