Penn Pancreas Transplant Program

Penn offers several options for patients with insulin dependent diabetes, in which the islet cells (located in the pancreas) either make no, or not enough insulin. In either case the goal is to restore the patient’s ability to produce insulin and obtain glucose homeostasis without insulin injections.

Whole organ pancreas transplantation is the most durable treatment currently available to maintain blood sugar control for patients with insulin dependent diabetes. While not as common as the transplant of other organs, a pancreas transplant offers patients the potential for an insulin-free life. Many patients who are eligible for a pancreas transplant have kidney failure and will require a kidney transplant. There are several options for pancreas transplant including:

• Simultaneous kidney and pancreas transplant (SPK)
• Pancreas after kidney transplant (PAK)
• Pancreas alone transplant (PAT)

Patients with insulin dependent diabetes and advanced kidney disease should be evaluated for both a kidney and pancreas transplant.

Islet cell transplantation is a procedure (currently offered through clinical research trial participation) in which transplanted islets cells from a donor pancreas are injected into the liver of patients with type 1 diabetes. If the transplant is successful, the new islets begin producing insulin.

Paving The Way

The Penn Transplant Institute is one of the leading transplant centers in the world researching islet cell transplantation. Our pancreas transplant program was the first program in the region to offer pancreas transplantation.