One of the most common questions people ask upon a diagnosis with type 1 diabetes is, “can I just get a pancreas transplant?”.
This question is often very complicated and historically speaking, pancreas transplants haven’t been recommended as a first course of treatment for type 1 diabetes for a lot of reasons.
This article will explain exactly what a pancreas transplant is, what the repercussions are, and will highlight the stories of several people who have had this surgery done and will dig into what their lives look like today.
What is a pancreas transplant?
Like any other organ transplant surgery, a pancreas transplant is a procedure where a recipient without a working pancreas (like someone with type 1 diabetes) receives a donated pancreas from a deceased person.
The pancreas is a small organ that lies behind the lower part of the stomach. One of its core functions is insulin production, which helps to regulate blood sugars and the absorption of glucose into cells.
Most pancreas transplants are done on people with type 1 diabetes, although it isn’t recommended unless the patient is suffering from severe complications of diabetes (such as kidney disease requiring a transplant as well), due to the significant side effects to one’s health that a major organ transplant can cause.
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