Long-term benefits of pancreas transplantation.
OBJECTIVE
Pancreas transplantation has emerged as an effective treatment for patients with diabetes mellitus, especially those with established end-stage renal disease. Surgical and immunosuppressive advances have significantly improved allograft survival. With more recipients enjoying normoglycemia for longer periods of time, the opportunity to study more closely the effects of pancreas transplantation has arisen. This review will focus on these long-term benefits.


RESULTS
The field of pancreas transplantation has been limited by a lack of randomized, controlled trials and relatively poor graft survival rates historically, however we can still glean many important points from the existing literature. The procedure reduces mortality compared with diabetic kidney transplant recipients and waitlisted patients. Improvements in diabetic nephropathy and retinopathy have also been demonstrated. Pancreas transplantation can improve cardiovascular risk profiles, improve cardiac function and decrease cardiovascular events. Lastly, improvements in diabetic neuropathy and quality of life can result from pancreas transplantation.


CONCLUSIONS
Pancreas transplantation remains the most effective method to establish durable normoglycemia for patients with diabetes mellitus. Well designed clinical studies to assess outcomes and adverse events will be of paramount importance in providing optimal care to patients with diabetes mellitus.
Dean
Patrick G
PG
Division of Transplant Surgery, Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA. dean.patrick2@mayo.edu
Kudva
Yogish C
YC
Stegall
Mark D
MD
D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000601:surgery*; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D016035:Pancreas Transplantation; D016896:Treatment Outcome