Pancreas transplantation can establish normal blood sugars and insulin-independence in type I diabetics by providing functioning islet cells, and has the potential to halt the progression of vascular complications that affect the eyes, nerves, kidneys, and other organ systems.

Harper University Hospital's transplant surgeons and nephrologists are very experienced in the pretransplant evaluation, surgical care, and postoperative medical and immunosuppressive management of pancreas transplant recipients.

The Hospital offers three types of the pancreas transplants:

• Simultaneous pancreas/kidney (SPK) transplantation
• Pancreas after living-donor or cadaveric-donor kidney (PAK) transplantation
• Pancreas transplantation alone (PTA)

The program is beginning to evaluate potential candidates for all three types of pancreas transplantation. Additional information regarding the pancreas transplant program, including handbooks for patients and protocols for referring nephrologists, endocrinologists, primary care physicians, and others involved in diabetes care, may be obtained by contacting the transplant program.