Pancreas donation for islet transplantation

Islet transplantation, though still in the experimental phase, is a therapeutic option that has opened new expectations for the control of diabetes mellitus. Initial results are encouraging for the significant advantages compared with whole pancreas transplantation for selected patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus, with or without kidney failure. However, the success of transplantation, both at centers with more experience and others with less, is limited by the difficulty in obtaining a suitable number of donors and by laboratory isolation techniques. Significant advances require changes in donor selection, perfusion, oxygenation, and transfer of the pancreas, and in the process of isolation, purification, and culture in the laboratory. Of the 32 pancreases sent to the islet isolation laboratory from different hospitals in Andalusia, a viable percentage of islets was finally available in 19. However, in only 4 (18%) procedures were the preparations considered optimal for implantation in 2 recipients.