Can you transplant a pancreas

When the transplant team assesses your eligibility, they'll consider the following:. If you need a kidney transplant, too, the transplant team will determine whether it's better for you to have the pancreas and kidney transplants during the same surgery, or to have the kidney transplant first, followed by the pancreas transplant later.

The option that's right for you depends on the severity of your kidney damage, the availability of donors and your preference. Once you've been accepted as a candidate for a pancreas transplant, your name will be placed on a national list of people awaiting a transplant. The waiting time depends on your blood group and how long it takes for a suitable donor — one whose blood and tissue types match yours — to become available.

The average wait for a pancreas transplant is about 23 months. The average wait for a simultaneous kidney-pancreas transplant is about 13 months. Whether you're waiting for a donated pancreas to become available or your transplant surgery is already scheduled, it's important to stay as healthy as possible to increase your chances of a successful transplant. If you're waiting for a donated pancreas, make sure the transplant team knows how to reach you at all times.

Once a donor pancreas becomes available, it must be transplanted into a recipient within 18 to 24 hours. You should keep a packed hospital bag handy and make arrangements for transportation to the transplant center in advance. In a pancreas transplant, the donor pancreas with a small segment of donor's small intestine is connected to a segment of your small intestine. Your original pancreas is often left in place unless it's causing complications. Surgeons perform pancreas transplants with general anesthesia, so you will be unconscious during the procedure.

The anesthesiologist or anesthetist gives you medication as a gas to breathe through a mask or injects a liquid medication into a vein. The surgical team monitors your heart rate, blood pressure and blood oxygen throughout the procedure. Pancreas transplant surgery usually lasts about three to six hours, depending on whether you are having a pancreas transplant alone or kidney and pancreas transplants at the same time.

Stay in the intensive care unit for a couple of days. Doctors and nurses monitor your condition to watch for signs of complications. Your new pancreas should start working immediately, and your old pancreas will continue to perform its other functions.

If you have a new kidney, it'll make urine just like your own kidneys did when they were healthy. Often this starts immediately. But in some cases, it may take up to a few weeks to reach normal urine production.

After a successful pancreas transplant, your new pancreas will make the insulin your body needs, so you'll no longer need insulin therapy to treat type 1 diabetes. But even with the best possible match between you and the donor, your immune system will try to reject your new pancreas.

To avoid rejection, you'll need anti-rejection medications to suppress your immune system. You'll likely take these drugs for the rest of your life.

Because medications to suppress your immune system make your body more vulnerable to infection, your doctor may also prescribe antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal medications. It's not unusual for pancreas transplant recipients to experience an acute rejection episode within the first few months after the procedure. If you do, you'll need to return to the hospital for treatment with intensive anti-rejection medications. In a pancreas transplant, the donor pancreas is attached to the small intestine with a portion of the donor's small intestine.

Once the new donor pancreas is in place, it replaces the function of the diseases pancreas by releasing insulin and other enzymes into the gastrointestinal tract. Survival rates vary by procedure type and transplant center. The Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients maintains current statistics regarding transplantation for all U. Pancreas rejection rates tend to be slightly higher among pancreas-only transplant recipients. It's unclear why results are better for those who receive a kidney and pancreas at the same time.

Some research suggests that it may be because it's more difficult to monitor and detect rejection of a pancreas alone versus a pancreas and a kidney.

If your new pancreas fails, you can resume insulin treatments and consider a second transplant. This decision will depend on your current health, your ability to withstand surgery and your expectations for maintaining a certain quality of life.

Explore Mayo Clinic studies of tests and procedures to help prevent, detect, treat or manage conditions. It's normal to feel anxious or overwhelmed while waiting for a transplant or to have fears about rejection, returning to work or other issues after a transplant.

Seeking the support of friends and family members can help you cope during this stressful time. Your transplant team can also assist you with other useful resources and coping strategies throughout the transplant process, such as:. Researchers actively study medications and treatments for people with pancreas transplants.

Current research includes comparing and developing new anti-rejection medication immunosuppressive regimens to keep your body from rejecting your new pancreas. For example, researchers are investigating ways to personalize immunosuppression maintenance regimens by using immune system monitoring. They also study the possibility of lowering the dose of immunosuppressive medications, such as calcineurin inhibitors, to reduce side effects.

After your pancreas transplant, you should adjust your diet to keep your pancreas healthy and functioning well. Maintaining a healthy weight through diet and exercise can help prevent many common post-transplant complications, including infection, heart attacks and bone thinning.

Gallbladder removal surgery is typically the last resort for those with gallbladder disease and gallstones. Pyloroplasty is a type of stomach surgery that makes digestion easier. Gastrectomy is the removal of part or all of the stomach. Your small intestines, also called the small bowel, are very important for maintaining good digestive health.

You may need surgery to remove a damaged…. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Mental Health. Pancreas Transplant. Medically reviewed by Stacy Sampson, D. Is there more than one type of pancreas transplant? Who donates the pancreas? How long will it take to receive a pancreas? What happens before a pancreas transplant? How is a pancreas transplant performed? What happens after a pancreas transplant is performed?

Are there any risks associated with a pancreas transplant? Read this next. Medically reviewed by Debra Sullivan, Ph. Can You Live Without a Pancreas? Medically reviewed by Elaine K.

Luo, M. Should I Take Pancreatic Supplements? Medically reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, Ph. What Does the Pancreas Do? Kidney Transplant. Medically reviewed by Mikhail Yakubov, MD.

Medically reviewed by Alana Biggers, M. Medically reviewed by Andrew Gonzalez, M. Unfortunately, not everyone who thinks they'd benefit from a pancreas transplant will be suitable for one. This is because the operation places a major strain on the body and may mean the risks outweigh the potential benefits.

Age is not a factor in determining whether a pancreas transplant is suitable, although the procedure is rarely performed in older people because they often have other health problems that mean a transplant is too risky. The final decision about whether you're suitable for a pancreas transplant is made by the transplant team.

But if your case is not straightforward, it may be several weeks before you're told the decision. In some cases, further tests are necessary to make a final decision, or you may be referred to a different transplant centre for a second opinion. Page last reviewed: 11 June Next review due: 11 June When pancreas transplants are considered A pancreas transplant is usually only considered in a small number of people with type 1 diabetes.