Overview

What Does the Pancreas Do?

The pancreas is a small (5 to 6 inches) gland that produces insulin and enzymes used for digestion. Insulin regulates the use of blood sugar throughout the body and is therefore necessary for life.

What is a Pancreas Transplant?

In a pancreas transplant, the patient’s diseased pancreas is replaced by a healthy pancreas from a donor. Usually, the healthy pancreas comes from someone who has recently died but did not have injury to the pancreas. This is called deceased donor transplantation. However, a segment of pancreas can be taken from a living organ donor who may be a family member or friend.

Because type 1 diabetes is often associated with kidney failure, a person who needs a pancreas transplant may also need a kidney transplant. Therefore, there are three types of pancreas transplants:

• Pancreas-only transplant: For people who have a kidney that works. About 85% of people who have this procedure stay insulin free one year after surgery.
• Pancreas-only transplant after a kidney transplant: For people who have already had a kidney transplant. About 70% of people who have this procedure stay insulin free one year after surgery.
• Combined kidney-pancreas transplant: For people who need both a pancreas and a kidney. About 60% of people who have this procedure stay insulin free one year after surgery.

According to the American Diabetes Association, a recent study shows that for people with at least one working kidney, survival rates of people who have a pancreas-only transplant are worse than the survival rates of people who use other treatments (such as insulin and diet) for their diabetes. Further, a pancreas transplanted along with a kidney is less likely to fail than a pancreas transplanted alone. That’s why the third type, the combination kidney-pancreas transplant, is actually the most common type of pancreas transplant, followed by the second. The first, a pancreas only transplant, is the least common of the three.