Transcontinental shipping of pancreatic islets for autotransplantation after total pancreatectomy.

Islet autotransplantation prevents diabetes in some patients after total pancreatectomy. Pancreatectomy is done at most hospitals but islets are prepared at only a few centers. We report a case in which the pancreas was sent to a laboratory half a continent distant from the operative site, and islets were prepared and returned to the original hospital for autotransplantation 16 h after resection.

Duodenal complications in bladder-drained pancreas transplantation.

Background: The most common type of pancreas transplantation is whole pancreaticoduodenal (with bladder drainage) from a cadaver donor. Complications can arise not only from the pancreas itself but also from the simultaneously transplanted duodenum. The purpose of this study was to analyze the incidence, diagnosis, and treatment of duodenal complications and their impact on patient and pancreas graft survival rates.