Long-term Outcomes in Simultaneous Pancreas-Kidney Transplant Recipients: Single-center Experience From Poland

Simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation (SPKT) is the treatment of choice for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) due to type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM1). Since the 1980s, pancreas transplantation has become the most effective strategy to restore normoglycemia in patients with DM1. The aim of this study was to present long-term outcomes data for SPKT.

We performed a retrospective analysis of 73 SPKT recipients followed in our outpatient center who underwent transplantation between 1988 and 2015.

A total of 50.7% of the patients were male. At the time of surgery, patients' mean age was 37.38 ± 7.44 years. Patients were diagnosed with DM1 at an average of 25 ± 6.08 years before SPKT. For 21.9% of patients, the transplant was done preemptively. Most (91.8%) had enteric drainage. All patients received induction of immunosuppression (either polyclonal immunoglobulins anti-thymocyte globulin or thymoglobulin [64.4%] or monoclonal globulins daclizumab or basiliximab [35.6%]). Patient survival at 1, 5, 10, 15 years was 99%, 97%, 89%, and 75%; kidney survival was 99%, 96%, 84%, and 67%; and pancreas survival was 95%, 92%, 84%, and 64%, respectively. There was a notable tendency toward increased creatinine level (from 1.18 at 1 year to 1.78 at 15 years) and decreased hemoglobin level (from 13.84 at 1 year to 12.65 at 15 years).

Diabetic patients with ESRD have a poor prognosis without transplantation. SPKT provides marked prolongation of the patient's life and freedom from insulin injections. Enteric drainage is currently the surgical technique of choice. SPKT should remain as the treatment of choice in this patient population.