Pancreas transplantation with pancreaticocystostomy and quadruple immunosuppression

Forty-three whole-pancreas transplantations with pancreaticocystostomy were performed. Eighteen patients received pancreas transplants after previously receiving living-related kidney transplants, 18 patients received simultaneous kidney and pancreas transplants, and seven patients received pancreas transplants after previously receiving cadaver kidney transplants. All patients were immunosuppressed with quadruple immunosuppression including antilymphocyte globulin, prednisone, cyclosporine, and azathioprine. Overall graft survival for pancreas transplants is 73.1%. In the group with pancreas after living-related kidney, 1-year graft survival was 50% for the pancreas and 95.4% for the kidney. In the pancreas after cadaver kidney group, pancreas and kidney survival rates were 100% at 1 year, and in the simultaneous pancreas and kidney group, pancreas 1-year graft survival was 87.5% and kidney transplant survival was 93.8%. Overall patient survival at 1-year is 95.6%. Technical complications occurred in 21 patients. These included wound infections, intra-abdominal abscess formation, bleeding, and disruption of the pancreaticocystostomy. We believe that pancreas transplantation can now be performed with acceptable graft and patient survival.