Are pancreas transplants possible?

Pancreas Transplant: Pancreas transplant done in Insulin dependent diabetes who may also have kidney failure. Operation is generally done as combination kidney/pancreas transplantation . Pancreas cancer is not an indication for transplant.

Yes: Most common reason is diabetic kidney failure requiring kidney transplantation. It can be done simultaneously with the kidney and pancreas coming from the same donor, or pancreas transplant alone done after some time following kidney transplantation. Rarely pancreas transplant alone is done in severe cases of type i diabetes with hypoglycemic unawareness.

Pancreas transplant: There are two common indications for a pancreas transplant: 1. A commitment to lifelong immunosuppresion for another organ transplant in a type 1 diabetic (usually a kidney for diabetic nephrology, but liver and lung have been done as well) or 2. Very poorly controlled type 1 diabetes despite optimized medical care. This usually requires documented episodes of hypoglycemia unawareness.

Possible, but...: Pancreas transplants are done for t1dm, but they don't always work. Usually done when also transplanting a kidney, or other organ. Rejection is an issue, and anti-rejection meds are needed, so the risks of the transplant/meds have to be balanced with just treating the t1dm with insulin. Also, there is autoimmunity, which is still there, and which may kill the new b-cells.