Spotlight

UC Irvine Medical Center offers Orange County’s only pancreas transplant program. The procedure has the potential to free people with type 1 diabetes from daily insulin injections. The program is enhanced by the medical center’s association with the Joslin Diabetes Center at the University of California, Irvine, an affiliate of the renowned Joslin Diabetes Center of Boston. Our surgeons utilize the latest advancements and techniques in medicine, and are actively involved in clinical trials for islet cell transplantation.

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Pancreas Transplant Alone (PTA)

Candidates for pancreas transplantation include patients with type 1 non-uremic diabetes who:

• Have early or no kidney disease but need a pancreas transplant to improve blood-sugar control and prevent complications
• Have received a kidney in the past and need a pancreas transplant to improve blood-sugar control and prevent complications
• Have secondary complications despite medical management
• Have experienced frequent hypoglycemic events despite medical management

Simultaneous Pancreas-Kidney (SPK) Transplantation

Type 1 diabetic patients with end-stage renal disease may prefer to become insulin-independent and dialysis-free in one surgery by undergoing a simultaneous pancreas and kidney (SPK) transplant. UC Irvine Medical Center is the only facility in Orange County that offers simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation. The surgeons and multidisciplinary team bring a wealth of experience and clinical expertise to SPK transplant procedures and follow-up protocols.

The benefits of SPK transplantation include:

• Patients no longer require insulin injections
• Patients no longer experience low blood sugars or loss of consciousness due to low blood-sugars