Indications for Pancreas Transplantation

Abstract

Because the pancreas is a vascularized organ, transplantation of segmental or whole pancreas grafts carries with it roughly the same risks as does transplantation of other major vascularized organs. Kidney, liver, heart, or heart and lung all present a combination of complex problems to the transplant team, including management of immunosuppression and the special surgical and technical demands peculiar to the organ. Yet pancreas transplantation differs sharply from these other procedures in one central feature: it does not save the patient’s life in an immediate and visible fashion. There can be no doubt that this benefit is conferred when pancreas grafting is successful, but this benefit is primarily in the nature of improved quality of life plus the promise of eventual enhanced length of life.