Experience with 49 segmental pancreas transplants in 45 diabetic patients

Forty-nine pancreas transplants were performed in 45 patients between July 23, 1978 and May 14, 1982, 18 from related donors. Currently (June 1982), 13 patients have functioning grafts and are insulin independent between 1 and 46 months after transplantation, 5 for more than 1 year. Nineteen patients lost graft function between 1 and 7 months. Sixteen grafts failed for technical reasons. Eight patients died between 1 and 21 months from infections or preexisting complications or for unknown reasons, three with functioning grafts. Actuarial 1-year graft survival is 24% and patient survival is 84%. A variety of techniques were used to handle exocrine secretions of 41 hemipancreas segmental grafts, 4 extended segmental grafts, and 4 whole pancreas grafts. Currently, 3 of 14 duct-open, 0 of 2 duct-ligated, 0 of 4 prolamine-injected, 6 of 19 silicone rubber-injected, and 4 of 10 jejunal anastomosed pancreatic grafts are functioning. Of 33 technically successful allografts, 5 in 12 conventionally immunosuppressed and 8 in 21 cyclosporin A (Cy A)-immunosuppressed recipients are functioning. Most technically successful grafts that failed were not biopsied or removed. In those that were biopsied, fibrosis was a dominant feature in all but one patient. In this patient endocrine and exocrine tissue was normal except for the absence of insulin-positive (beta) cells in the islets and an increase in glucagon-positive (alpha) cells, in contrast to the normal appearance of alpha and beta cells in islets at the time of the pancreas transplant. Currently, we perform pancreas transplants in diabetic patients who have previously received kidney transplants and therefore already require immunosuppression. For nonuremic patients, we perform pancreas transplant only if it is judged that their complications of diabetes exceed, or predictably will exceed, the potential side effects of chronic immunosuppression.