title: Current status of pancreas and islet cell transplantation.
abstract: 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. The procedure reduces mortality compared with diabetic kidney transplant recipients and wait listed 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. Pancreas transplantation remains the most effective method to establish durable euglycemia for patients with diabetes mellitus.
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor of Surgery, Division of Organ Transplantation, Department of Surgery, University of Massachusetts Medical School, USA.
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Saidi
keywords: Diabetes mellitus; Glycemic control; Islet cell transplantation; Pancreas transplantation; Simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation