Experience with simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation.

With refinements in surgical techniques and increased clinical experience, there has been a resurgence of interest in vascularized pancreas transplantation. From December 1986 to April 1988, 30 whole-organ vascularized pancreas transplants with pancreatico duodenocystostomy were performed simultaneously with renal transplantation. The recipient population consisted of 20 men and ten women, with a mean age of 34.7 years (range of 25-53 years). The mean duration of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) was 22.6 years (range of 10-37 years). The mean pancreas preservation time was 8.7 hours (range 3-19 years). All patients were immediately insulin-independent. Simultaneous pancreas-kidney engraftment was performed to both iliac fossae via a lower midline incision (n = 28) or through a bilateral lower abdominal incision (n = 2). The mean operating time was 5.9 hours, and packed cell transfusion requirement was 1.3 units. The mean length of hospital stay was 27.4 days. Recipients averaged 2.3 admissions (1-7), with ten patients (34.4%) requiring only one hospital admission. Postoperative immunosuppression consisted of cyclosporine, prednisone, azathioprine, and Minnesota antilymphoblast globulin (MALG). A total of 49 episodes of rejection occurred in 26 patients. Actuarial patient survival rate at two years is 96.3%. The kidney and pancreas survival rates for the same time interval is 94.0% and 84.0%, respectively. Mean serum creatinine at present is 1.75 mg/dl. In conclusion, renal transplantation in concert with pancreas transplantation has a dramatic positive impact on pancreas allograft survival. Combined engraftment does not appear to jeopardize renal allograft functional survival. In view of these results, simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation appears to be the treatment of choice for Type I diabetic patients.