Combined Kidney and Pancreas Transplant is becoming a more common practice on many transplant programs. The outcome is improving in the new era of immunosuppresion for it contributes to the significant graft survival after combined transplant.
We have reviewed the six transplant combined kidney and pancreas done at King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center, Riyadh from the period of Nov. 2004 to Oct. 2006.
We have transplanted six patients ages between 17 years old and 45 years old. Five combined kidney and pancreas transplant and one pancreas after kidney. Three females and three males. One patient was transplanted pre-emptively before dialysis. Other three patients were in peritoneal dialysis and one patient was on hemodialysis and one patient had his kidney transplanted abroad. Average BMI for these patients was 28 before transplant ranging from 25% BMI up to 31% BMI. All six patients were insulin free with normal C-peptide level and five patients with normal glucose tolerance test and one patient has impaired glucose tolerance that was improved after weight loss. Immunosuppression that was used is thymoglobulin with MMF Tacrolimus and steroid maintenance therapy. One patient developed delayed graft function secondary to segmental artery thrombosis after surgery. All six patients are dialysis free.
Combined kidney and pancreas transplant’s initial results are encouraging in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We do believe that even considering the quality of the donor that is available in Saudi it is still possible to maintain pancreas transplant. Further longterm result is needed as well as more patients to be in the national list. Also, we face the challenge of making combined organ transplant to take priority in the national list.