Transplant Evaluation
Once your physician has identified you as a pancreas
transplantation candidate, you'll undergo an extensive
evaluation that will help determine if transplant
is the right option for you.
Since pancreas transplant candidates can have
other health problems related to diabetes (such
as heart disease), their pre-transplant evaluations
are more extensive and individualized than for
other types of transplants. What the evaluation
entails varies from hospital to hospital. The
information provided here reflects the evaluation
process at Penn; practices elsewhere may vary.
The pancreas transplant evaluation at the Penn Transplant Institute is usually completed in a
1-day outpatient visit, although some additional
consults or testing may be required at a later
time. The evaluation day allows the patient and
his or her family to meet members of the Pancreas
Transplant Program team and to obtain information
about transplant success rates and complications.
During this initial visit, the patient and the
family will meet with a transplant nurse coordinator
and receive detailed teaching about transplant
preparation, health management during the waiting
period, immunosuppressant medications and an
overview of the transplantation process.
During the evaluation, the patient will meet
other members of the Pancreas Transplant team.
The transplant nephrologist, the transplant surgeon,
and -- in some cases -- a cardiologist will examine
the patient. Standard evaluation testing will
also take place. These tests include, but are
not limited to:
*If Persantine™-sestamibi is positive,
the patient will be referred to Cardiology
at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
to determine if further evaluation is necessary.
In addition, some patients may undergo additional
tests:
The team will determine during the initial evaluation
if the patient requires any specialized or additional
testing.
Also, as part of the evaluation, the Pancreas
Transplant Program financial services counselor
will review insurance coverage for prescription
medications and pancreas transplant. Penn participates
in most managed care and preferred provider insurance
networks, as well as Medicare, which currently
covers simultaneous kidney/pancreas transplants
and pancreas-after-kidney transplants.
The transplant social worker is also available
to meet with any potential candidates during the
evaluation visit.
After the evaluation is complete, the entire
transplant team will review the evaluation data
and determine which options are best for the patient.
Then, the patient and the physicians will discuss
the team's recommendations. If transplant is the
best option, financial approval is obtained and
the patient is placed on the active waiting list.
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