Pancreas transplant is a surgical intervention for transplantation of a healthy pancreas from a deceased donor to someone whose pancreas does not function regularly anymore.
Pancreas is an organ located in the lower part of the stomach. One of its basic functions is to produce insulin – a hormone which regulates the absorption of sugar (glucose) in the cells.
If pancreas does not produce enough insulin, the values of blood glucose may increase to unhealthy levels, which leads to type-1 diabetes.
Most pancreas transplants are performed for treating type-1 diabetes. Pancreas transplant offers potential treatment of this condition.
In some cases, pancreas transplant may also treat type-2 diabetes. Pancreas transplants may rarely be applied for treating pancreas and gallbladder diseases, or other types of cancer.
Pancreas transplant is often combined with kidney transplant of people whose kidneys have been damaged from diabetes.
Why is it performed?
Pancreas transplant may lead to the recovery of the normal production of insulin and improve the control of the values of blood glucose of people with diabetes, but this is not a standard treatment. The adverse effects of drugs against transplant rejection which are necessary after transplanting the pancreas may often be very serious.
This transplant is most frequently performed in the following cases:
- Type-1 diabetes which cannot be controlled with standard therapy
- Frequent insulin reactions
- Permanent bad control of the values of blood glucose
- Severe kidney damage
- Type-2 diabetes connected to low insulin resistance and low insulin production
There are different types of pancreas transplant, which include the following:
- Pancreas transplant. People with diabetes and early kidney disease may be candidates for pancreas transplant. Pancreas transplant operation includes only pancreas transplant, without other operations.
- Combined pancreas and kidney transplant. Surgeons may perform combined (simultaneous) kidney and pancreas transplants of people with diabetes, who are or may be imposed to kidney damage. More than two third of pancreas transplants are performed together with kidney transplant.
The aim of this approach is to have healthy kidney and pancreas, which are unlikely to lead to future kidney damage connected to diabetes. Here, the complications are connected to waiting for the donorship of pancreas and kidney become accessible in one and the same time. - Pancreas transplant after kidney transplant. Those who are faced before long-term waiting both for a kidney and for a pancreas donor are recommended to perform kidney transplant first if there is an available kidney from a live or a deceased donor.
Pancreas transplant is performed after recovering from the kidney transplant surgical treatment.
Risks
Complications Connected to the Procedure
Pancreas transplant operation has a risk of significant complications, including blood clots, bleeding, infection, excessive sugar in blood (hyperglycaemia) or other metabolic problems; urinary tract complications, including urine leakage or urinary tract infections or rejection of the transplanted pancreas.
Adverse Effects Induced from Drugs against Rejection
After pancreas transplant, patients take drugs for life to prevent the rejection of the transplanted pancreas. These drugs against rejection may cause different adverse effects, including bone thinning (osteoporosis); high values of cholesterol; high blood pressure; nausea, diarrhoea, or vomiting; sensitivity to sun; weight gain; swollen gums; excessive hair growth or loss.
All drugs against transplant rejection act through suppressing the immune system, which also makes it difficult for the body to protect itself against infections and diseases.