Pancreas Transplant Program

Changing the Course of Type 1 Diabetes and Improving Quality of Life

If you’re living with Type 1 diabetes that’s hard to control, a pancreas transplant can be life changing. The pancreas transplant program at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) offers you latest in transplant care from a highly experienced, caring team of experts.

Our longstanding alliance with the renowned Joslin Diabetes Center means you get outstanding diabetes specialty care as part of your treatment. You may benefit from a pancreas transplant alone — or a joint pancreas-kidney transplant — if your diabetes has led to chronic kidney disease. We are among the nation’s leaders in simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplantation. Learn more about eligibility and evaluation for pancreas transplant.

Reasons for a Pancreas Transplant

Your pancreas is part of your endocrine system. The organ is about six to nine inches long and located on the left side of your abdomen. It makes hormones, such as insulin and glucagon to help your body regulate blood sugar levels. It also makes digestive juices, or enzymes.

Pancreas transplantation is a surgical procedure. It replaces a failing pancreas with a new pancreas from a deceased donor. 

In most cases, the procedure is used for people with complex Type 1 diabetes affecting their quality of life. With some cases, even when taking insulin, Type 1 diabetes can cause dramatic swings in blood sugar levels that put you at risk for kidney failure and other diabetes complications.

You may qualify as a candidate for pancreas transplant if you have these or other severe symptoms and/or complications related to Type 1 diabetes:

• Dialysis use
• End-stage kidney disease
• Hypoglycemia unawareness (inability to recognize low blood sugar levels)
• Persistent failure of insulin therapy
• Previous kidney transplant because of Type 1 diabetes complications
• Severe metabolic complications

Some patients with Type 2 diabetes may also qualify for a pancreas transplant at BIDMC.