[Current status of pancreas transplantation in Japan]

The pancreas transplantation is widely performed for the patients with type 1 diabetes. To date in Japan we had 20 SPK or PAK transplants under the new brain death law launched in 1997. Despite severe shortage of organ donors and marginal donors such as old age, unstable homodynamic situation at agonal phase and atherosclerosis, all patients enjoy a post-operative life except two patients who had grafts removed due because of thrombosis and perforation. There are some reports recently presented at the meeting with respect to simultaneous pancreas kidney transplantations from living donors. It will be expected to have more donors and transplantation with satisfactory results in Japan as well.