Pancreas Transplant: Types of Surgery in India

What actually is a Pancreas Transplant?

A pancreas transplant is a surgical procedure that is used to replace, mostly, a type 1 diabetic person's pancreas with healthy pancreas harvested from a donor. The pancreas is a vital organ that helps in digestion of food by production of a hormone called 'insulin' which is useful in converting the food into energy. A person with type 1 diabetes has affected pancreas that are not able to produce insulin which results in various complications.

Why you need Pancreas Transplant?

A pancreas transplant is a potential cure for type 1 diabetes but reserved for people with severe complications arising due to the diabetes.

A person may need pancreas transplant if the type 1 diabetes cannot be regulated with conventional treatment methods. If the diabetic person suffers from insulin reaction on a frequent basis and their blood sugar level is consistently poor. A diabetic person with severe damage to the kidneys is also considered for a pancreas transplant procedure.

What are the possible complications with a Pancreas Transplant?

As with any major surgery there are certain risks and complications that may accompany a pancreas transplant, such as:

• Thrombosis (blood clot)
• Pancreatitis
• Infection
• Hemorrhage (internal bleeding)
• Rejection
• Oedema (fluid retention)
• Urine leakage
• Abdominal abscess

What are the types of Pancreas Transplant procedures?

There are mainly four different types of pancreas transplantations that are done depending on the severity of the diabetic complications as well other factors, these are:

• Sole pancreas transplant is performed in people with type 1 diabetes along with severe and frequent hypoglycemia with normal kidney functioning.
• SPK (simultaneous pancreas-kidney) transplant is performed in type 1 diabetics with pancreas and kidney malfunctioning.
• PAK (pancreas after kidney) transplant is performed in a type 1 diabetic person who has undergone a kidney transplant first and the pancreas transplant follows it.
• SPLK (simultaneous pancreas and live donor kidney) transplant is beneficial for the lower rate of delayed graft function as compared to SPK with considerably reduced waiting times which results in improved outcomes.

The actual surgery for pancreas transplant entails administration of general anesthesia to the patient to induce unconsciousness.

The surgeon will begin the surgery by making an incision in the abdomen and the donated healthy pancreas are attached to the major blood vessels that transfer blood to and from the leg. The surgeon will attach a small portion of the donor's small intestine either to your small intestine or the bladder, if required.

If the surgeon is performing an SPK (simultaneous pancreas kidney) transplant the kidney will be transplanted first and placed on the left-hand side in the lower part of the abdomen and the pancreas will be placed in the right-hand side.

A solely pancreas transplant may take anywhere between 3 to 4 hours while an SPK procedure requires at least 6-8 hours of surgery.

The new transplanted pancreas start producing insulin soon after it is attached to the blood vessels while your original pancreas can carry on with the other functions.

Why is India the best option for low cost Pancreas Transplant treatment?

There is a wide network of urology-specialist hospitals and clinics in India that is equipped with the latest and most high-tech surgical instruments. These hospitals and clinics are managed by the most experienced and efficient team of urology specialists including doctors, surgeons and specially trained nursing staff. The overall efficiency and management of hospitality by these hospitals and clinics is on par with world-standard quality. This makes India the best option for low cost organ transplant treatment like pancreas transplant.

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