Organ and Cell Transplantation - Pancreas Transplant Program
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Scripps Center for Organ and Cell Transplantation
The pancreas is a small organ that lies behind your stomach. It produces hormones, including insulin, that help your body use glucose properly for energy.
Diabetes occurs when the body cannot regulate the glucose in its system. In type 1 diabetes, also called juvenile-onset diabetes, the pancreas produces little or no insulin, which results in blood sugar levels that are too high. Because elevated blood sugar can cause damage to the nerves, kidneys, blood vessels, and eyes, people who have type 1 diabetes must take insulin daily to replace what their bodies cannot create naturally.
According to the American Diabetes Association, there are more than 20 million people in the United States living with diabetes. Most people with type 1 diabetes are able to manage the disease with daily insulin injections, in addition to carefully monitoring their diet. For others, insulin treatment is not practical or is ineffective.
At Scripps Center for Organ & Cell Transplantation, our goal is to give people with type 1 diabetes another option: a pancreas transplant. A successful pancreas transplant allows people with type 1 diabetes to give up insulin shots, because their new pancreas can produce insulin naturally. Depending on the severity of their disease, patients can receive the following treatments available at Scripps:
- Solitary pancreas transplantation
- Simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplantation, for people whose diabetes has also caused kidney damage
- Pancreas transplantation following kidney transplant
To learn more about our pancreas transplant program, call 858-554-4310 or fill out the Transplant Candidate Application (PDF, 47.6 KB) and Transplant Contact Form (PDF, 20.9 KB) and fax to 858-554-4311.