Postoperative care of the pancreas-transplant recipient

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus (DM) affects about 5% of the population and represents the eighth leading cause of death in the United States.1 It is the leading cause of renal failure and blindness in adults and the most frequent, underlying disease leading to amputations.2 Whole-organ pancreas transplantation is no longer an experimental procedure but a valid therapeutic option for patients with type I DM. For patients who are dependent on exogenous insulin for survival, the objectives of pancreas transplantation include insulin independence and normoglycemia, improvement in quality of life, and amelioration of secondary complications of DM. © 2010 Springer-Verlag US.