General

Pancreas transplantation:

Indication and graft survival:

The success of pancreas transplantation is depending on adequate immunosupressive therapy and optimal surgical procedures. The results of transplantation according to return of patients to normal glycaemia spans from < 40% to 80%. Pancreas transplantation is indicated, if the complication of diabetes Type I (e.g. nephropathy, retinopathy, neuropathy) increase and other regimes can not stabilize the progression of secondary processes. Combined pancreas-kidney transplantations are performed in diabetic patients who need a kidney transplant and excellent results are achieved

Recipient and donor selection:

Organs are used from cadaveric donors aged between 5 and 50 years old, excluding a history of glucose intolerance and chronic alcohol abuse.

Transplant procedure:

Post-transplant graft thrombosis and bicarbonate loss has been reduced by heterotropic placement of the entire organ in the right abdomen, accompanied with adequate vessel anastomosis and attachment of the donor duodenal segment directly to the recipient small intestine.

Complications:

Rejection treatment is similar to kidney transplant immunosuppression and an additional application of monoclonal therapy. Graft pancreatitis and general infections are supplementary complications.