Pancreas Transplant Surgery at UH

The pancreas transplant program at University Hospitals Transplant Institute is on the leading-edge of organ transplant in every way. Along with superior surgical techniques, our academic medical center research continually advances the safety and success of transplant procedures.

Successful pancreas transplant surgery has resulted in high patient satisfaction as well as approval from the many referring physicians who are pleased with the well-designed transplant program.

All transplant surgeries take place at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center in Cleveland.

Types of Pancreas Transplants at UH

UH offers the following types of pancreas transplants:

• Simultaneous pancreas and kidney (SPK) transplant: This combined transplant treats both diabetes and renal failure in one operation. Patients in this situation are evaluated for a kidney and pancreas transplant performed at the same time from a single donor. Those waiting for both organs usually experience a shorter waiting time for their combined transplant than those listed for kidney transplant alone. Type I and II diabetics can be evaluated for SPK transplantation.
• Pancreas after kidney (PAK) transplant: Patients with diabetes who have had a prior kidney transplant performed for end-stage renal disease may be a suitable candidate to receive a pancreas transplant at a later date. The pancreas transplant does offer protection to the kidney transplant from the effects of diabetes and possible future failure of the kidney transplant due to diabetes. Type I and II diabetics can be evaluated for PAK transplantation.
• Pancreas transplant alone (PTA): Patients with type I diabetes who have good kidney function but have severe difficulty controlling blood glucose levels and who experience severe hypoglycemic episodes are eligible for this type of transplant.