Why do people want to have an auto-islet transplant with their pancreatectomy?
People with chronic pancreatitis often have a total pancreatectomy to relieve pain. By having their pancreas removed, they no longer have islets to help regulate their blood sugar. Therefore, they are diabetic after the surgery. Today, people with chronic pancreatitis have the option of having an auto-islet transplant after their pancreatectomy so that, hopefully, they will not need to take insulin shots. During this procedure, the pancreas is removed from the patient, the islets are isolated from the pancreas, and then the islets are infused by IV back into the patient through the portal vein into their liver. The auto-islet transplant has the potential to prevent diabetes or to make the diabetes milder than it would be if the patient had only a pancreatectomy.
