The pancreas is an organ that makes insulin and enzymes that help the body digest and use food. A pancreas transplant is surgery to place a healthy pancreas from a donor into a person with a diseased pancreas. A common reason for this type of damage is diabetes. Pancreas transplants can enable people with type 1 diabetes to give up insulin shots. An experimental procedure called islet cell transplantation transplants only the parts of the pancreas that make insulin.
People who have transplants must take drugs to keep their body from rejecting the new pancreas for the rest of their lives. They must also have regular follow-up care.
- Pancreas Transplant: An Insulin-Free Treatment for Type 1 Diabetes(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/pancreas-transplant/DA00047/METHOD=print
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Getting a New Pancreas: Facts about Pancreas Transplants(American Society of Transplantation) - Links to PDF - http://www.a-s-t.org/files/pdf/patient_education/english/AST1116_PANCREAS%20BRO-L2.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://www.a-s-t.org/files/pdf/patient_education/spanish/AST-EdBroPANCREAS-SPAN.pdf
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Pancreas Transplantation(American Diabetes Association) - http://www.diabetes.org/type-1-diabetes/pancreas-transplants.jsp
Also available in Spanish http://www.diabetes.org/espanol/diabetes-tipo-2/trasplantes-pancreas.jsp
- Health Maintenance(American Society of Transplantation) - http://www.healthytransplant.com/index.php?q=health_maintenance
- Lab Tests for Measuring Organ Function(American Society of Transplantation) - http://www.healthytransplant.com/index.php?q=health_maintenance/caring_for_your_new_organ/lab_tests_for_measuring_organ_function
- Getting a Kidney-Pancreas Transplant(National Kidney Foundation) - http://www.kidney.org/atoz/atozItem.cfm?id=159
- Infection and Malignancy(American Society of Transplantation) - http://www.healthytransplant.com/index.php?q=infection_and_malignancy
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Pancreas Transplantation
(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/intervention=%22pancreas+transplantation%22
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Impact of pancreatic allograft function on 1-year survival rates after... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19338493&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Outcomes of simultaneous kidney-pancreas transplantation with positive cross-match. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19249540&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Immunosuppression in pancreas transplantation: the Euro SPK trials and beyond. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19241916&tool=MedlinePlus
- Pancreas Transplantation -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=pancreas+transplantation[majr]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+english[la]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Transplant Glossary(United Network for Organ Sharing) - http://www.transplantliving.org/Community/glossary.aspx
- United Network for Organ Sharing: Member Directory(United Network for Organ Sharing) - http://www.unos.org/members/search.asp
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National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases - http://www.niddk.nih.gov/
- Organ Facts: Kidney / Pancreas(United Network for Organ Sharing) - http://www.transplantliving.org/beforethetransplant/organfacts/kidneypancreas.aspx
- Organ Facts: Pancreas(United Network for Organ Sharing) - http://www.transplantliving.org/beforethetransplant/organfacts/pancreas.aspx
- Pancreas Center Data Profile(Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network) - http://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov/organDatasource/stateData.asp?type=state&mqsd=1&display=Pancreas
- Transplant Statistics: National Reports(Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients) - http://www.ustransplant.org/csr/current/nats.aspx
- Diabetes Type 1 - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/diabetestype1.html
- Islet Cell Transplantation - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/isletcelltransplantation.html
- Organ Transplantation - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/organtransplantation.html
- Digestive System - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/digestivesystem.html
- Endocrine System - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/endocrinesystem.html
- Transplantation and Donation - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/transplantationanddonation.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Pancreas Transplantation is the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases - http://www.niddk.nih.gov/