Current status of pancreas transplantation for treatment of type I diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Pancreas transplantation is the only treatment of Type I diabetes that consistently establishes an insulin-independent, normoglycemic state. Currently long-term (> 1 year) insulin-independence is achieved in > 80% of recipients of pancreas grafts placed simultaneous with the kidney and > 70% in recipients of a pancreas after a kidney, and > 60% of non-uremic recipients of a pancreas alone. The penalty is immunosuppression, already obligatory for a kidney recipient, but the benefits are improvement in quality of life and the effect that perfect control of glycemia can have on secondary complications.