Current practices of donor pancreas allocation in the UK: future implications for pancreas and islet transplantation.
Recent refinements in technique mean islet cell transplantation offers the chance of a cure to an increasing patient cohort with diabetes. Such developments put pressure upon the scarce resource of donor organs, with potential competition between the modalities of cellular and solid organ transplantation. This questionnaire based study examines current patterns of donor pancreas procurement and use. Reasons for non procurement are studied together with the attitudes of transplant professionals to pancreas allocation. The minority of potentially useful pancreata are currently made available to either whole pancreas or islet transplant programs. Whilst professionals appreciate the role of each modality, there is a need to define criteria for pancreas allocation to avoid under use of donor organs.
Ridgway
Dan M
DM
Division of Transplantation, University of Leicester, Leicester General Hospital, Gwendolen Road, Leicester, UK. dan.ridgway1@btinternet.com
White
Steven A
SA
Kimber
Rachel M
RM
Nicholson
Michael L
ML
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015276:Health Care Rationing / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007258:Informed Consent; D016381:Islets of Langerhans Transplantation; D008875:Middle Aged; D016035:Pancreas Transplantation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D014019:Tissue Donors; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting / Q000379:methods; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000379:methods; D006113:United Kingdom