Pancreas Transplantation: Does Age Increase Morbidity?

Abstract

Introduction . Pancreas transplantation (PTx) is the only definitive intervention for type 1 diabetes. Medical advancements in diabetes care have led to an aging PTx candidate pool. We report our experience with patients ≥50 years of age undergoing PTx. Methods . We reviewed 136 consecutive PTx patients at our institution from 1996–2010; 17 were ≥50 years of age. We evaluated demographics, surgical complications, acute rejection (AR) rates, nonsurgical infections, and survival outcomes. Results . Demographic data was similar () between groups, excluding age. The two groups had comparable major and minor surgical complication rates ( and , resp.). The older group had a lower 1-year and overall AR rate ( and , resp.). The incidence of non-surgical infections and overall patient and graft survival was similar between groups (). Conclusion . Older patients with type 1 diabetes are feasible candidates for PTx, as surgical morbidity, incidence of infections, and AR rates are low.