Update on Pancreatic Transplantation in the Management of Diabetes

Review
In: Endotext [Internet]. South Dartmouth (MA): MDText.com, Inc.; 2000.
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Excerpt

Pancreas transplantation is the most effective therapeutic option that can restore insulin independence in beta-cell penic recipients with diabetes. Because of life-long immunosuppression and the initial surgical risk, pancreas transplantation is a therapeutic option only in selected patients with diabetes. Based on renal function, candidates for pancreas transplantation can be classified into three categories: uremic patients, post-uremic patients (following a successful kidney transplantation), and non-uremic patients. Uremic patients are best treated by a simultaneous kidney-pancreas transplantation. Post-uremic patients can receive a pancreas after kidney transplantation. Non-uremic patients can receive a pancreas transplant alone, if diabetes is poorly controlled resulting in hypoglycemia unawareness, and in the presence of evolving chronic complications of diabetes. Results of pancreas transplantation have improved over time and are currently non-inferior to those of renal transplantation alone in recipients without diabetes. A functioning pancreatic graft can prolong patient survival, dramatically improves quality of life of recipients, and may ameliorate the course of chronic complications of diabetes. Unfortunately, because of ageing of the donor population and lack of timely referral of potential recipients, the annual volume of pancreas transplants is declining. Considering that the results of pancreas transplantation depend on center volume, and that adequate center volume is required also for training of newer generations of transplant surgeons, centralization of pancreas transplantation activity should be considered. The recent world consensus conference on pancreas transplantation provides an independent appraisal of the impact of pancreas transplantation on modern management of diabetes as well as expert guidelines for the practice of pancreas transplantation. For complete coverage of all related areas of Endocrinology, please visit our on-line FREE web-text, WWW.ENDOTEXT.ORG.

Publication types

  • Review