A prospective randomized clinical trial of perioperative treatment with octreotide in pancreas transplantation.
BACKGROUND
Technical failures continue to plague clinical pancreas transplantation. The somastatin analogue octreotide has been shown able to decrease morbidity after pancreatic resection. We studied the effect of perioperative treatment with octreotide on technical complications after pancreas transplant.


METHODS
Seventeen recipients of bladder-drained transplant were randomized to receive either octreotide, 100 microg TID SQ for 5 days after transplant (n = 10) or no additional treatment (n = 7). We compared the two groups in terms of patient and graft survival and incidence of graft pancreatitis, intra-abdominal infections, and anastomotic leaks.


RESULTS
In the untreated group, 1 patient developed a bladder leak and 2 had intra-abdominal infections, while no complications occurred in the octreotide-treated patients (P = 0.05). Six-month patient and pancreas survival was 100% and 90%, respectively, in octreotide-treated patients versus 86% and 86% in the control group (P = NS).


CONCLUSIONS
Perioperative treatment with octreotide seems able to reduce the incidence of technical complications after pancreas transplantation.
Benedetti
E
E
Department of Surgery, University of Illinois at Chicago, 60612, USA.
Coady
N T
NT
Asolati
M
M
Dunn
T
T
Stormoen
B M
BM
Bartholomew
A M
AM
Vasquez
E M
EM
Pollak
R
R
D000328:Adult; D000681:Amylases / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006085:Graft Survival; D006728:Hormones / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015282:Octreotide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016035:Pancreas Transplantation; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000209:etiology; D019990:Perioperative Care; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors
D006728:Hormones; D000681:Amylases; D015282:Octreotide