Transplantation in patients with diabetic nephropathy. Outcome of combined pancreas and kidney transplantation compared with kidney transplantation only.

Detailed results of 12 combined pancreas and kidney transplantations (Comb) were compared with those of two matched diabetic controls per patient--one living donor kidney recipient (LD) and one cadaveric donor kidney recipient (CD--who, though eligible for pancreas transplantation also, preferred kidney transplantation only. Mean follow-up was 22, 23, and 21 months in the three groups. There was no mortality in the LD group, but two CD and one Comb patient died from cardiovascular disease. Two kidneys were lost in both the Comb and the LD group, compared to five in the CD group. Ten major vascular events occurred and three of them were lethal. The only LD case was one below-knee amputation; the other nine were equally distributed in the Comb and CD groups. The time spent in the hospital was shorter for the LD group. Thus, in the short run, LDs confer the best results, whereas in the long term the better metabolic control in the Combs may prove favorable.