Clinical pancreas transplantation. Complete review of eight years experience

In the eight years since the initiation of pancreas transplantation at our center, 36 patients have received either segmental or whole pancreas grafts. Seventeen patients had segmental pancreas allografts, with eight of these receiving simultaneous kidney allografts from the same donor. Nineteen patients received whole pancreas and kidney allografts. Thirty five of the pancreases were preserved using hypothermic storage for up to 43 hours and 45 minutes, using either albumin-augmented crystalloid or hyperosmolar colloid preservation solution. The one-year actuarial graft survival was 12 per cent for segmental pancreas transplants and 42 per cent for whole pancreas grafts. The use of cyclosporine after whole pancreas transplantation as well as improved surgical techniques for exocrine drainage contributed to the improvement in graft survival in the whole pancreas graft group.