title: Patient quality of life and pain improve after autologous islet transplantation (AIT) for treatment of chronic pancreatitis: 53 patient series at the University of Arizona.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pancreatectomy with autologous islet transplantation has slowly been proving to be an effective way of treating chronic pancreatitis while lessening the effects of the concomitant surgical diabetes of pancreatectomy alone. Assessing patient quality of life and pain after the procedure is particularly important as intractable pain is the main complaint for which patients undergo total pancreatectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used the Rand SF-36 and McGill pain questionnaires, and Visual Analogue Scale to assess patients preoperatively for quality of life and pain resulting from life with chronic pancreatitis. After undergoing total pancreatectomy with autologous islet transplantation (TPAIT), patients were followed with surveys administered at 1 month, 6 months, and 1 year to evaluate changes in their quality of life and pain experienced.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant improvement was reported in all components of every questionnaire within a year after surgery. Furthermore, patient reported mean scores on quality of life were found to fall within the range of the general population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  From our experience with 53 patients at the University of Arizona, after pancreatectomy with autologous islet transplantation patients reported a higher quality of life when compared to preoperative values, as well as reduced levels of pain.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Cellular Transplantation, Department of Surgery, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA; Center for Diseases of the Pancreas, Northshore-LIJ, Department of Surgery, Manhasset, NY 11030, USA; Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Georgiev
authors.affiliation: Institute for Cellular Transplantation, Department of Surgery, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA; Center for Diseases of the Pancreas, Northshore-LIJ, Department of Surgery, Manhasset, NY 11030, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beltran del Rio
authors.affiliation: Institute for Cellular Transplantation, Department of Surgery, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA; Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson 85724, AZ, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gruessner
authors.affiliation: Institute for Cellular Transplantation, Department of Surgery, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA; Center for Diseases of the Pancreas, Northshore-LIJ, Department of Surgery, Manhasset, NY 11030, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tiwari
authors.affiliation: Institute for Cellular Transplantation, Department of Surgery, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA; Center for Diseases of the Pancreas, Northshore-LIJ, Department of Surgery, Manhasset, NY 11030, USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cercone
authors.affiliation: Institute for Cellular Transplantation, Department of Surgery, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Delbridge
authors.affiliation: Institute for Cellular Transplantation, Department of Surgery, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Grigsby
authors.affiliation: Institute for Cellular Transplantation, Department of Surgery, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA; Department of Surgery, University of Arizona, Tucson 85724, AZ, USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gruessner
authors.affiliation: Institute for Cellular Transplantation, Department of Surgery, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA; Center for Diseases of the Pancreas, Northshore-LIJ, Department of Surgery, Manhasset, NY 11030, USA; Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA; Department of Surgery, University of Arizona, Tucson 85724, AZ, USA; Bio5 Institute, Department of Immunology and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson 85724, AZ, USA. Electronic address: hrilo@nshs.edu.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rilo
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016381:Islets of Langerhans Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010148:Intractable Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010180:Pancreatectomy; D050500:Pancreatitis, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D057234:Preoperative Period; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Autologous islet cell transplantation; Chronic pancreatitis; Pancreatectomy; Quality of life; Questionnaires; SF-36