Pancreas transplantation

Abstract

Pancreas transplantation is currently the only treatment for type 1 diabetes mellitus that consistently establishes an insulin-independent euglycemic state with complete normalization of glycosylated hemoglobin levels. Since its early stages more than three decades ago, this procedure has undergone considerable evolution and expansion. According to data from the International Pancreas Transplant Registry (IPTR), more than 1000 pancreas transplants have been performed yearly at US centers since 1994. Throughout this period, graft and patient survival rates at 3 yr remain above 70 and 90%, respectively (1). Along with advances in cadaveric donor management, organ preservation, and immunosuppressive medications, refinements in transplantation technique have been instrumental in driving pancreas transplantation to its current level of success. © 2006 Humana Press Inc.