Pancreas Transplantation : Does Age Increase Morbidity?

Abstract EN

Introduction.

Pancreas transplantation (PTx) is the only definitive intervention for type 1 diabetes.

Medical advancements in diabetes care have led to an aging PTx candidate pool.

We report our experience with patients ≥50 years of age undergoing PTx.

Methods.

We reviewed 136 consecutive PTx patients at our institution from 1996–2010; 17 were ≥50 years of age.

We evaluated demographics, surgical complications, acute rejection (AR) rates, nonsurgical infections, and survival outcomes.

Results.

Demographic data was similar (P>.05) between groups, excluding age.

The two groups had comparable major and minor surgical complication rates (P=.10 and P=.25, resp.).

The older group had a lower 1-year and overall AR rate (P=.04 and P=.03, resp.).

The incidence of non-surgical infections and overall patient and graft survival was similar between groups (P>.05).

Conclusion.

Older patients with type 1 diabetes are feasible candidates for PTx, as surgical morbidity, incidence of infections, and AR rates are low.