[The artificial pancreas in surgery. An attempt to simplify intra- and post-operative insulin therapy]

The insulin requirements of 10 insulin-dependent diabetic patients were evaluated during and after surgery (including 4 caesarian sections) by connecting the patients with an artificial pancreas. Considerable variations were observed in the intra-operative period. In contrast, the amounts of insulin released during the immediate post-operative period were more regular and reproducible (mean: 2.36 U/h for a glucose intake of 200-250 g/24 h). A satisfactory control of glycaemia was obtained with this dosage in 7 insulin-dependent post-operative patients without using an artificial pancreas. It would therefore seem that in most cases continuous insulin infusion combined with direct measurement of capillary glycaemia could replace an artificial pancreas and make the intra- and post-operative care of diabetic patients simpler and more effective.