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Pancreas Transplant

  • About

  • About Pancreas Transplant

  • Pancreas is a part of the digestive system located below the stomach in the abdominal cavity. The pancreas' role is to create several important hormones like insulin, glucagon, somatostatin, and pancreatic polypeptide. All these hormones are essential for the body and circulate in the blood.

  • There are chances that the pancreas stops functioning, which can be life-threatening. It can be the result of cancer as well. A pancreas transplant is the only way to get back the pancreas functioning.

  • A pancreas transplant is the surgical procedure of removing the patient's pancreas and changing it with the donor's pancreas. The process is mainly open and takes around eight to ten hours.

  • Symptoms

  • Weight loss and loss of appetite

  • Diarrhea

  • Nausea

  • Vomiting

  • Jaundice

  • Pain in the upper abdomen

  • Mood swings, depression, and anxiety

  • Severe fatigue

  • Causes

  • Alcohol Consumption

  • Excess production of insulin

  • Gallstones that stuck in the pancreatic duct or bile

  • Diagnosis

  • Doctors perform a regular physical examination, enquire about the symptoms, medical history, and family history. The doctor also performs multiple tests for detailed information on the patient's overall health, to see if the patient is fit for the transplant or not.

  • This helps the doctor suggest the right mediation and treatment to the patient. Blood test, x-ray, kidney function test, neuropsychological exams, and various tests helps to study the function of the body before the transplant. All these tests take around two to three months.

  • These tests are very important to determine whether the patient is fit for the transplant or not to avoid further complications.

  • Pancreas Transplant Procedure

  • Before the Transplant

  • The doctor will take a complete detail about the medications, supplements, and other health issues if any.

  • The patient is not allowed to eat anything before eight to ten hours of the surgery.

  • During the Transplant

  • The surgery takes about eight to ten hours under general anesthesia.

  • The surgeon begins by making an incision in the abdomen (just below the breastbone to belly button) to access the area.

  • He then places the donor pancreas to the right side of the abdomen and connects it with the blood vessel that carries blood to the leg.

  • The surgeon will attach a small portion of the donor's small intestine to the patient's small intestine or the bladder, allowing digestive juices to drain from the donor pancreas into the patient's blood.

  • The surgeon then closes the incision with stitches both internally and externally.

  • Follow up

  • The recovery from pancreas transplant takes several months. The right amount of time post-surgery is required to resume normal activities and movement. Regular checkup is essential to keep track of the recovery.

  • For the first six months, only simple activities are allowed.

  • Exercise, running, jumping, and sports is allowed after almost a year of the surgery.

  • Regular tracking of the patient's progress is must for healthy recovery.

  • Costs

  • Pancreas Transplant Cost In India

  • The estimated Pancreas transplant cost in India starts from around USD 18,000, depending upon various factors.

  • There is an 85% pancreas replacement success rate in India, which makes India one of the most preferred countries for pancreas replacement across the world.

  • Some of the experienced doctors in the field are Dr.Mahesh Gopasetty, Dr. Mukut Minz and Dr. Sudheer O V.. The best Pancreas transplant centers in India are Fortis Bangalore Hospital, PGI, Chandigarh, and Amrita Hospitals.

  • It is a ten days procedure in the hospital, and patients need to stay for almost a month in India.

  • Factors affecting

  • Factors affecting the Pancreas Transplant cost in India

  • Hospitals and the state that the patient chooses for his/her treatment in India decides the overall cost of pancreas transplant surgery in India. The cost of setting up the hospital in one area may be higher than the other. Those hospitals will charge more, therefore, affecting the cost of treatment.

  • Cost of medicines.

  • Fees of a specialist.

  • Cost of tests and other diagnostic procedures.

  • Price of the donor pancreas.

  • The number of days in the hospital.

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