A pancreas transplant is a procedure in which a
donor pancreas, obtained from a brain-dead organ donor who has been maintained
on life support. The recipient's own diseased pancreas is left in place,
and the donor pancreas is transplanted through a midline abdominal incision.
In patients who have diabetes and kidney failure as a result of their diabetes,
this operation is often done in combination with kidney transplant.
The kidneys are paired organs that lie posterior
to the abdomen, in the area of the lower back. The kidneys make urine,
which is transported from the kidneys to the bladder by the ureters,
long muscular tubes which connect the kidneys with the bladder.
Kidney transplant may be recommended for patients
with kidney failure caused by: severe, uncontrollable high blood pressure
(hypertension) infections diabetes congenital abnormalities of the kidneys
other diseases which cause renal failure, such as autoimmune disease
Donor kidneys are obtained from either brain-dead organ donors, or from
living relatives or friends of the recipient.
While the patient is deep asleep and pain-free
(general anesthesia), an incision is made in the lower right quadrant
of the abdomen. The donor kidney is transplanted into the right lower
pelvis of the recipient.
The new kidney is sutured into place. The vessels
of the new kidney are connected to the vessels leading to the right leg
(the iliac vessels), and the ureter is sutured to the bladder.
The kidneys are paired organs that lie posterior
to the abdomen, in the area of the lower back. The kidneys make urine,
which is transported from the kidneys to the bladder by the ureters,
long muscular tubes which connect the kidneys with the bladder.
Review Date: 5/10/2007
Reviewed By: Robert Hurd, MD, Professor of Endocrinology, Department of Biology, Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
