Experience with 53 portal–duodenal drained solitary pancreas transplants

Abstract

Systemic-enteric drainage is currently the most common technique for pancreas transplantation (PT). A novel alternative technique, portal-duodenal drainage (PDD), has potential physiological benefits and provides improved monitoring of the pancreatic graft. The current study describes 53 solitary PT procedures (43 pancreas after kidney and 10 pancreas transplant alone) using the PDD technique over the last three yr. This method resulted in one-yr patient survival at 96% and 83% graft survival. There were five cases (9.4%) of thrombosis, in which transplantectomy and two-layer closure of the native duodenum were performed. No fistulas were observed. Here, we demonstrate that the PDD technique in PT was as safe and effective as current techniques in clinical use.