What is the success rate for pancreas transplantation?
Pancreas transplant is successful in about 90 percent of patients who no longer have to take insulin injections within the first year following the surgery. After the first year, more than two-thirds of pancreas transplant recipients are still off insulin. The rate of organ function is very high, with a half-life of about 10 years. In other words, after 10 years, half of the transplanted pancreases are still working, which in terms of organ transplants is very good. Those that are still working typically go on to work for many more years. Surgeons are hopeful that this success rate will climb even higher in the future because of ongoing improvements in medication that support the functioning of the transplanted pancreas.
