Pancreas transplant

From ArticleWorld

Pancreas transplant is a type of organ transplant that implies replacing a receiver's malfunctioning pancreas with a healthy pancreas that can produce insulin. The operation can involve transplanting only the pancreas, or transplanting the pancreas and kidney simultaneously.

Indications

Pancreas transplantation occurs in patients with severe diabetes, usually type 1 diabetes with end-stage renal disease. Some patients decided to go for such an operation in case of a type 2 diabetes.

However, pancreas transplant is a very risky operation because it involves and aggressive immunosuppressive treatment. The drugs involved in this treatment are highly toxic, so pancreas transplant should only go as a last option.

Procedure

The procedure itself is similar to other organ transplant operations. The old pancreas is removed from the receiver's body and the new one put into place. Circulation is restored to it, and it is then connected to the new body's systems. When all functions are reverted to normal, the patient is closed and moved for post-operatory care. An aggressive immunosuppressive treatment follows the operation.

Risks

The pancreas transplant is very risky, not because of the operation itself, but because of the immunosuppressive drugs that are very toxic. The immunosuppressive treatment is lifelong, and increases the risk of cancer and a number of other diseases. On the short term, the risk of rejection, thrombosis and pancreatitis are very high. For these reasons, lifelong usage of insulin is a better option for most patients.