How often is islet transplantation effective for chronic pancreatitis?

Beth A. Schrope, MD on behalf of Columbia University Department of Surgery

Surgery

In a third of patients studied, the islet cells do not function as hoped, and patients become fully diabetic. In some cases, failure may occur if the pancreas was so diseased at the time of surgery that the islets are just too unhealthy. In other patients, the islet cells may be destroyed by high blood sugar from inadequately controlled diabetes.

Continue Learning about Pancreatitis

Honor Society of Nursing (STTI)

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Honor Society of Nursing (STTI)

Both acute and chronic pancreatitis has been shown to affect men more often than women. The most com...

Honor Society of Nursing (STTI)

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Dr. Jeanne Morrison, PhD

Pancreatitis can be serious and often requires hospitalization, sometimes even surgery. Acute and ch...

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Pancreatitis

A disease of the endocrine system, pancreatitis can cause severe abdominal pain, fever and nausea and vomiting. Pancreatitis develops when the digestive juices that your pancreas makes actually begins to break down the organ itself. This disease, which can either be acute (short-term) or chronic (long-term), can cause internal bleeding, infection, tissue scarring and organ failure. Chronic pancreatitis actually causes the pancreas to slowly destroy itself. Gallstones that block the pancreatic duct, a tube that connects the pancreas to part of the small intestine, can cause acute pancreatitis. However, heavy alcohol use is a primary cause of both acute and chronic pancreatitis. Several days in the hospital can help resolve acute pancreatitis, but chronic pancreatitis can be much more difficult to treat, especially if the patient is an alcoholic. The surgical removal of certain nerves may be needed to relieve the severe abdominal pain associated with chronic pancreatitis.

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