Surgical complications after simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation: A single-center experience

We investigated the rate of early surgical complications after simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation (SPKT) and their impact on both grafts and recipient survival.

The retrospective analysis of typical pancreas-related complications, different methods of correction, and their efficacy were performed. Data describing pancreas transplant recipients were drawn from our SPKT waiting list.

The overall surgical complications rate was 37.5%. The 1-year pancreas graft survival was 82.5% and 1-year recipient survival was 90%. Surgical complications based on the graft loss rate did not exceed 2.5%. Direct surgical complications did not account for the loss of a single patient.

We conclude that the high rate of surgical complications is a major obstacle to widespread application of pancreas transplantation; early recognition and appropriate treatment of graft-related complications is fundamental for graft survival.