“What's the likelihood of a pancreas transplant?”
My friend has had type 1 diabetes since he was a child, but now it's so difficult for him to manage it, and the problems are mainly with his pancreas. Are pancreas transplants possible? Would they completely cure type 1 diabetes?
6 Answers
TransplantSurgeonType1Diabetes
Yes, pancreas transplant are done. I am not sure he will be completely cured.
Pancreas transplants have been done for years but the graft survival long term is not great. They (researchers) are working on better control with implantable pumps and also harvesting and transplanting the specific cells responsible for insulin production and sugar control. They are much better than they use to be. It is tough waiting for a breakthrough. If you want to get more information about transplant look at NIH or on one of the big centers like Mayo and email them for information.
Good luck.
Good luck.
Pancreas transplants are possible and often come along witn a kidney transplant. This transplant would cure type 1 diabetes. You would have to be on the transplant list and it may take years to find a match at the right time, but it is possible.
Pancreas Transplants in the U.S. is most commonly performed as a Simultaneous Kidney and Pancreas Transplant for patients with End Stage Kidney Disease (Kidney Failure) and Diabetes Mellitus. The typical age is 18 to 50 years old. If your friend only has Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus and no Kidney Disease, then he would be a candidate for a Pancreat Transplant Alone or an Islet Transplant. The number of PTA's performed has decreased over the last 10 years and there are only a handful of transplant programs still performing them. Islet Cell Transplant replaces the insulin-producing cells in the body. This is an experimental procedure which is performed in a few research hospitals. PTA can completely cure Type 1 Diabetes, Islet cell transplant controls some of the problems that brittle diabetics have.
Pancreas transplants are possible &are being done. There are problems associated with them however. You have to take antirejection drugs which can suppress your immune system & allow infections. These drugs can also cause cancer & make you feel bad. The transplants have a definitive life span so may die & another is needed. The main problem with pan. transplants though is supply. The are thousands of people with diabetes who would like or need a transplant but only a couple of thousand pancreases are available for transplant. They must come from cadavers who are healthy (motorcycle riders are a principle supplier) donors & there aren't too many of those so the waiting list is long. There are several places you can get them. The Univ of Minnisota & Wash U in St. Louis are 2 good centers. They can also be done at U of Ks, & Okla. & several other places including Boston. Your Dr. can find the closest place to you. There is some good news about transplants though. Several places are working on a way to take the beta cells of the pan. & encase them in a semi-permial membrane so glucose can get in & insulin can get out but the immune system cannot get in & destroy the beta cells. Pig pancreas is so close to human pancreas that it can be transplanted giving us an unlimited supply. The only problem here is that pig viruses are toxic to humans so a way must be found to eliminate them from the transplant tissue. They are making progress on this so the future is brighter. Good Luck!
Pancreatic transplants are possible. You can go this website: https://www.srtr.org/transplant-centers/?&organ=pancreas&recipientType=adult&sort=transplantRate to check out what programs around the country perform them. They will be able to guide you and your friend with a lot more information regarding the transplant.
