Transplantation

Bone Marrow Transplant

Heart Transplant (Inactivated)

Heart-Lung Transplant (Inactivated)

Kidney Pancreas

About the Procedure

Before Surgery

Indications

Pancreas Alone

Kidney Transplant

Liver Transplant

Lung Transplant

Patient & Family Education

Support Services

Transplant Statistics

Pancreas transplantation has advanced greatly in the decades since it was first introduced in the early 1960s. Today, with enhanced immunosuppressive therapy, the procedure is considered the foremost cure for diabetes mellitus.

The UCSD Center for Transplantation has further advanced the pancreas transplantation procedure with a new approach that transplants the pancreas into the recipient's bowel, making this operation less prone to complications than the earlier procedure that attached the pancreas to the bladder. New immunosuppressive drugs have provided added benefit for patients undergoing this procedure. Pancreas and kidney-pancreas transplant patients at the UCSD Center for Transplantation who have received this advanced procedure, along with the improved drugs, have not shown any signs of rejection.

Cadaver Donors

Cadaveric donors are individuals who have suffered brain death. They, or their families, have graciously chosen to donate organs to patients in need.

The national statistics show a 70 to 80 percent success rate at one year for cadaver kidney-pancreas transplantation. The results at the UCSD Center for Transplantation have consistently exceeded the national average, with graft survival at 90 percent and patient survival near 100 percent.

Hospitalization

Hospitalization for pancreas and kidney-pancreas transplant patients usually ranges from one to two weeks. Patients stay in a specialized unit of the hospital where staff are trained to support the unique needs of transplant recipients. The nursing staff, in particular, go through rigorous specialized training in post-transplant care. The multi-disciplinary transplant team makes daily rounds through this unit to monitor patients for complications, adjust medications and order treatment protocols. The transplant social workers spend time with patients and their families to ensure all appropriate support services are in place. Patients are prepared for discharge when good pancreatic and renal function are consistently demonstrated and the immunosuppressive regimen is firmly established. Prior to discharge, our transplant pharmacist and the transplant coordinator teach the recipient about the immunosuppressive medication regimen and what to expect when they arrive at home.