Pancreas Transplant Surgery

A pancreas transplant can help patients with advanced diabetic disease regain optimal health and return to a productive life. Pancreas transplant surgery is primarily performed as a part of treating diabetes, often in concert with kidney transplant as Simultaneous Pancreas-Kidney transplantation (SPK) or Pancreas After Kidney transplant (PAK).

Learn more about SPK Learn more about PAK Pancreas Transplant FAQ

Another population of diabetics that may benefit from solitary pancreas transplantation (PTA) are type I diabetics with relatively normal kidney function who suffer from frequent, severe episodes of hypoglycemic unawareness and the loss of consciousness from low blood sugar.

Patients requiring a pancreas transplant often have chronic kidney disease, other medical problems and diabetes. Because of these factors, extensive testing is performed before the transplant, including:

Testing Performed Before Transplant:

• Blood work to look at liver and kidney function
• Blood and urine tests to make sure there is no infection (such as HIV, hepatitis, or CMV)
• Imaging tests (for example, chest X-rays, CT scan)
• Cardiac tests (for example, cardiac catheterization and cardiac stress test)

As one of the premier pancreatic transplant programs in the Southeast, Piedmont patients experience dramatically shorter wait times - 8.2 months compared to the national average of 13.7 months.  Piedmont is also one of the few programs that perform kidney/pancreas transplants in select patients with type II diabetes.

Living with a transplant is a lifelong process. Frequent visits and contact with the transplant team are essential, and we provide support every step of the way in your transplant journey, so you can focus on recovery and rehabilitation.

Piedmont Transplant in Atlanta pioneers many procedures in transplant surgery, and our programs consistently rank among the best in the Southeast and across the country.