A Simple Comparison Between Simultaneous Kidney-Pancreas (SKPtx) and Kidney-Alone (Ktx) Transplants in Type I Diabetic Nephropaty

Authors: TANJU ACAR, ARSHAD MAHMOOD

Abstract: Simultaneous kidney-pancreas transplantation (SKPtx) is an established procedure at many transplant centres for the treatment of end-stage renal disease from type I diabetes mellitus. A successful transplant normalises glucose metabolism and may prevent or reverse some of the complications of diabetes. Concerning graft survival and morbidity rates, the usefulness of this procedure is still questioned by some authors (1,2). We undertook a retrospective study to investigate the differences between survival rates of SKPtx and kidney alone transplant (Ktx) recipients.We also evaluated morbidity rates and complications in both groups. There were no significant differences in 12 and 36 month survival rates. Due to the exocrine bladder drainage technique, urologic complications constitute a major part of morbidity after SKPtx (3,4) (87%), but these problems are usually treated conservatively. We conclude that SKPtx is a safe and effective method resulting in complete freedom from exogenous insulin, dialysis and strict dietary control.

Keywords: Simultaneous kidney-pancreas transplantation, Type I diabetic nephropathy

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