Where are we with pancreas transplantation?

The question still remains: What is best for the patient? It appears that whole organ or segmental pancreas transplantation can be carried out, giving anywhere from a 46% to an 84% 1-year pancreas survival rate. At the moment there is no clear-cut evidence that patient survival--at least in the short term--is any better after a combined pancreas-kidney graft than after a kidney graft alone, and there are more complications from the combined procedure. It appears once again that patient survival is a function of control of ketoacidosis and its complications--whether by a pancreas graft or by better insulin delivery. Nevertheless, several things have been learned: (1) Patients who receive a pancreas-kidney graft simultaneously have the best pancreas 1-year survival. (2) A pancreatic graft without a simultaneous kidney graft does poorly. (3) A pancreas graft carried out after a kidney graft will not do as well. (4) A kidney transplanted to a diabetic patient may become nephropathic unless supported by a pancreatic graft. (5) Retinopathy is not improved by pancreatic transplantation. (6) Neuropathy is improved or stabilized by pancreatic transplantation. (7) Nephropathy is improved by pancreatic grafting. (8) There is no clear-cut difference in pancreatic graft survival, whether segmental or whole organ grafts are used. (9) Bladder-drained grafts appear to have slightly better survival at 1 year than enteric-drained or polymer-injected grafts. (10) Human islet cell homotransplantation is not yet an accomplished fact. As Barker has pointed out, the potential benefits of pancreatic grafting are for those who are prone to complications and who do not have irreversible diabetic complications. Predicting those in whom significant complications will develop is not easy, and a large percentage of the grafts done to date have been done for patients with end stage renal disease. It has been suggested that transplants are best used for those with early renal disease and for those with pre-proliferative retinopathy and for those that are metabolically difficult to handle with insulin and for those at high risk for complications with diabetes: namely, those with high levels of inactive renin that are associated with microvascular complications and high levels of insulin-like growth factor. These complications seem to be associated with accelerated progression of retinopathy. Diabetic children whose disease is associated with major neurovascular disease and children with impaired counter regulatory mechanisms may also be candidates for grafting.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)