Skip to Content
800-533-8762
  • Careers
  • Newsroom
  • Health Care Professionals
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
UPMC
  • Find a Doctor
  • Services
    • Frequently Searched Services
    • Frequently Searched Services
      Allergy & Immunology Behavioral & Mental Health Cancer Ear, Nose & Throat Endocrinology Gastroenterology Heart & Vascular Imaging Neurosciences Orthopaedics
      Physical Rehabilitation Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Primary Care Senior Services Sports Medicine Telemedicine Transplant Surgery Walk-In Care Weight Management Women’s Health
      See all Services
    • Services by Region
    • Find a UPMC health care facility close to you quickly by browsing by region.
      UPMC in Western Pa. Western Pa. and New York
      UPMC in Central Pa. Central Pa.
      UPMC in North Central Pa. North Central Pa.
      UPMC in Western Md. Maryland & West Virginia
    • See All Services
  • Locations
    • Locations by Type
    • Locations by Type
      UPMC hospitals
      Hospitals
      Physical Therapy
      Physical Therapy
      Urgent care
      Walk-In Care
      UPMC Outpatient Centers
      Outpatient Centers
      UPMC Imaging Services
      Imaging
      Community Health Centers
      Community Health Centers
      See All Locations
    • Locations by Region
    • Locations by Region
      UPMC in Southwest Pa. Southwest Pa.
      UPMC in North Central Pa. North Central Pa.
      UPMC in Northwest Pa and Ny. Northwest Pa. & Western N.Y.
      UPMC in West Central Pa. West Central Pa.
      UPMC in Central Pa. Central Pa.
      UPMC in Western Md. Maryland & West Virginia
    • See All Locations
  • Patients & Visitors
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
      Patients and Visitors Resources Pay a Bill Classes & Events Medical Records Health Library Patient Information
      Patient Portals Privacy Information Shared Decision Making Traveling Patients Visitor Information
      Man uses mobile phone
      Pay a Bill
      Nurse reviews medical chart
      Request Medical Records
  • Patient Portals
  • Find Covid-19 updates
  • Schedule an appointment
  • Request medical records
  • Pay a bill
  • Learn about financial assistance
  • Find classes & events
  • Send a patient an eCard
  • Make a donation
  • Volunteer
  • Read HealthBeat blog
  • Explore UPMC Careers
Skip to Content
UPMC
  • Patient Portals
  • For Patients & Visitors
    • Find a Doctor
    • Locations
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
    • Pay a Bill
    • Services
    • More
      • Medical Records
      • Financial Assistance
      • Classes & Events
      • HealthBeat Blog
      • Health Library
  • About UPMC
    • Why UPMC
    • Facts & Stats
    • Supply Chain Management
    • Community Commitment
    • More
      • Financials
      • Support UPMC
      • UPMC Apps
      • UPMC Enterprises
      • UPMC International
  • For Health Care Professionals
    • Physician Information
    • Resources
    • Education & Training
    • Departments
    • Credentialing
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Newsroom
  • UPMC >
  • Our Services >
  • Transplant Services >
  • Kidney Transplant >
  • Auto Islet
Transplant Services
About Us
Heart Transplant
Intestinal Transplant
Kidney Transplant
Candidates
Your Transplant Surgery
Evaluation Clinics
Living-Donor Kidney Transplant
Auto Islet
Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) Calculator
Your Care Team
Patient Stories
Contact Us
Liver Transplant
Lung Transplant
Pancreas Transplant
Multi-Organ Transplant
Patient Resources
Pediatric Transplant
Referring a Patient
Become a Living Donor
Your Transplant Team
Request an Appointment
Transplant Services
About Us
Heart Transplant
Intestinal Transplant
Kidney Transplant
Candidates
Your Transplant Surgery
Evaluation Clinics
Living-Donor Kidney Transplant
Auto Islet
Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) Calculator
Your Care Team
Patient Stories
Contact Us
Liver Transplant
Lung Transplant
Pancreas Transplant
Multi-Organ Transplant
Patient Resources
Pediatric Transplant
Referring a Patient
Become a Living Donor
Your Transplant Team
Request an Appointment

Chat Keywords List

  • cancel or exit: Stops your conversation
  • start over: Restarts your current scenario
  • help: Shows what this bot can do
  • terms: Shows terms of use and privacy statement
  • feedback: Give us feedback
Continue
Chat with UPMC
RESTART
MENU
CLOSE

Total Pancreatectomy and Auto-Islet Transplantation

A total pancreatectomy followed by an auto-islet transplant is a treatment option for people with chronic pancreatitis (CP), or a long-standing inflammation of the pancreas.

This complex procedure is vital when severe pain affects quality of life and all other treatments have failed.

The total pancreatectomy — surgery to remove the entire pancreas gland — treats the pain that the pancreas causes.

However, removing the pancreas would lead to diabetes. An auto-islet transplant reduces this risk.

Chronic Pancreatitis Symptoms

The most common symptom of CP is severe pain in the abdomen that can spread to the back.

Other CP symptoms may include:

  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Weight loss
  • Pasty gray stool

What to Expect During an Auto-Islet Transplant Procedure

During an auto-islet transplant, the transplant surgeon frees up your own islet cells — cells that produce insulin — from the diseased pancreas and then returns them through a catheter into the liver.

This allows the cells to once again produce insulin.

The goal of an auto-islet transplant is to:

  • Decrease the likelihood of developing diabetes.
  • Reduce the severity of diabetes if it does develop.

The entire auto-islet transplant surgery takes about 8 to 10 hours.

Recovery time in the hospital is about 7 to 10 days.

Benefits of Auto-Islet Transplant

Unlike other types of transplants, there's no waiting list for an auto-islet transplant. Since transplant surgeons use your own islet cells, you do not need to wait for a donor organ or tissue.

Other benefits of an auto-islet transplant may include:

  • Avoiding a larger surgery later.
  • Recovering faster.
  • Returning to a good quality of life shortly after the transplant.

Who's a Candidate for an Auto-Islet Transplant?

In most cases, a gastroenterologist refers patients to the UPMC Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Program. Early referral is crucial, in order to minimize the damage to the islet cells.

While you're here, you'll meet with members of the kidney/pancreas transplant team, including:

  • Transplant coordinator
  • Gastroenterologist
  • Auto-islet transplant surgeon
  • Endocrinology
  • Psychiatrist
  • Social Worker

We'll conduct a full evaluation to assess your quality of life before and after surgery.

During your evaluation, we'll perform tests and blood work to make sure an auto-islet transplant is right for you.

You'll also receive details about what to expect from your transplant, including recovery and ways to help you return to daily living.

UPMC
200 Lothrop Street Pittsburgh, PA 15213

412-647-8762 800-533-8762

Patients And Visitors
  • Find a Doctor
  • Locations
  • Pay a Bill
  • Patient & Visitor Resources
  • Disabilities Resource Center
  • Services
  • Medical Records
  • No Surprises Act
  • Price Transparency
  • Financial Assistance
  • Classes & Events
  • Health Library
Health Care Professionals
  • Physician Information
  • Resources
  • Education & Training
  • Departments
  • Credentialing
Newsroom
  • Newsroom Home
  • Inside Life Changing Medicine Blog
  • News Releases
About
  • Why UPMC
  • Facts & Stats
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Community Commitment
  • Financials
  • Supporting UPMC
  • HealthBeat Blog
  • UPMC Apps
  • UPMC Enterprises
  • UPMC Health Plan
  • UPMC International
  • Nondiscrimination Policy
Life changing is...
Follow UPMC
  • Contact Us
  • Website/Email Terms of Use
  • Medical Advice Disclaimer
  • Privacy Information
  • Active Privacy Alerts
  • Sitemap
© 2025 UPMC I Affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences Supplemental content provided by Healthwise, Incorporated. To learn more, visit healthwise.org
Find Care
Providers
Video Visit
Portal Login