[Pancreas transplantation in diabetes mellitus]

In the course of 20-25 years' duration of disease, a large proportion of patients with type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus develop micro- and macro-angiopathy and morphological organ changes. The development of late complications in diabetes is significantly correlated to the level of blood sugar regulation, and can be prevented or delayed by the establishment of stable normoglycaemia. A successful pancreas transplantation is today the sole means available for inducing stable normoglycaemia in patients with insulin deficiency. More than 5,000 pancreas transplantations have already been performed throughout the world, in most cases concomitantly with renal transplantation in patients with late stage diabetes.