Once you begin the pancreas transplant process at UPMC, we'll assign you a transplant coordinator. Your coordinator will guide you through each stage of your pancreas transplant journey. The transplant team addresses all aspects of preparing for your new pancreas, including the financial, mental, social, and physical impacts of transplant surgery.
Our team will perform a comprehensive pancreas transplant evaluation to ensure that a pancreas transplant is in your best interest and help you understand what to expect before, during, and after the procedure.
Your Pancreas Transplant Team
During your evaluation, you'll have diagnostic tests and meet with a number of experts from the pancreas transplant team, including:
- Behavioral health nurses or psychiatrists — Assist you and your family in coping with the stresses associated with chronic disease and the transplant process. They will also assess any current psychiatric/mental health symptoms that are being treated or may need to be treated.
- Credit analysts — Review your insurance coverage and benefits information. They will help you understand your insurance policy and serve as your primary point of contact for any insurance-related changes. They will also explain any parts of the transplant process that insurance does not cover and suggest options to assist with those costs.
- Gastroenterologists — Examine you, perform a medical history and physical, and focus on the signs and symptoms of your disease. They may also review other options for managing your condition.
- Nutritionists — Assess your nutritional status, dietary knowledge, and provide education and recommendations for your diet.
- Pharmacists — Meet with you to get a complete list of all the medicines and supplements you take, both prescription and over the counter, and ask you how you take your medicines.
- Research transplant coordinators — Transplant nurses who coordinate and oversee patients who participate in research studies and clinical trials.
- Social workers — Will discuss your support team at home, prescription insurance coverage, and other social aspects of the transplant process. You will also learn about fundraising options.
- Transplant nurse coordinator — Introduces you to the transplant process and reviews your evaluation schedule. The visit will include a preliminary health screening, a review of your medication, and an overview of the transplant process. Your transplant nurse coordinator is here to answer any questions you may have.
- Transplant surgeons — Evaluate your physical capability and risks for transplant. They will review your current disease management plan and all available treatment options to see if a transplant is the best option for you.
Your Pancreas Transplant Evaluation
After you receive insurance approval for your pre-pancreas transplant evaluation, you will work with your transplant coordinator to schedule your appointments.
What happens during a pancreas transplant evaluation?
During your pancreas transplant evaluation, you will meet with members of your transplant team and have a series of exams and tests. Your pancreas transplant evaluation will provide your transplant team with information they need to decide if a pancreas transplant is in your best interest.
How long does a pancreas transplant evaluation take?
Your pancreas transplant evaluation involves a series of exams and tests, so it will take three to five days to complete. During this time, you may want to stay in Pittsburgh. Family House offers affordable housing to people seeking treatment for serious illnesses. It is not a medical facility.
Learn more about traveling to Pittsburgh for transplant services.
Does my care partner need to come to my pancreas transplant evaluation?
Your care partner will need to come with you to each appointment. The pancreas transplant exams and tests are physically demanding. It can be hard for someone with serious complications caused by diabetes to get from one appointment, test, or location without help.
Your care partner must also meet with the transplant team and learn about their role before, during, and after your transplant.
Pancreas Transplant Evaluation Tests
During your pancreas transplant evaluation, you will have tests to check for signs of disease and see how well your heart, lungs, and other bodily systems are working.
Tests may include:
- Blood work — Checks for signs of infection or illness.
- Chest x-ray — Looks for signs of heart damage, lung disorders, or other health problems.
- Colonoscopy — Allows your doctor to examine the inside of your colon using a thin, flexible tube with a light and a camera called a colonoscope.
- CT, MRI, or ultrasound scans of your abdomen/pelvis — Create images of organs, tissues, and structures inside your body to check for abnormalities.
- Electrocardiogram (EKG) — Measures your heartbeat and your heart's electrical activity (rhythm).
- Exercise stress test — Shows how well your heart and lungs work during exercise.
- Eye and dental exams — Look for problems associated with diabetes, such as diabetic retinopathy or gum disease.
- Mammogram or Pap smear for women — Checks for signs of breast or cervical cancer.
- Neurological tests — Checks for loss of sensation or nerve damage in your hands or feet caused by diabetic neuropathy.
- Urinalysis — Checks how well your kidneys are working.
What Happens After My Pancreas Transplant Evaluation?
The pancreas transplant selection team will review your exam and test results to decide if a transplant is right for you. When possible, your care team may recommend other diabetes treatment options before moving forward with a transplant.
Waiting for your new pancreas
If you are medically approved for pancreas transplant surgery, the financial team will work with your health insurance to get preauthorization for your procedure. After your pancreas transplant is approved by your insurance, we'll place you on the UNOS (United Network for Organ Sharing) deceased-donor pancreas transplant wait list.
Your position on the pancreas transplant waiting list
UNOS decides the criteria for organ allocation and ensures that all transplant hospitals in the United States meet their requirements.
How long is the wait for a deceased-donor pancreas?
Wait times for a deceased-donor pancreas vary.
While on the deceased-donor pancreas transplant wait list, you must:
- Be able to get to UPMC within four hours. This will ensure that you can get to the hospital in time when a donor pancreas becomes available. Family House offers affordable housing for people coming to Pittsburgh for pancreas transplant treatment. It is not a medical facility.
- Be accessible by phone 24 hours a day.
- Check in with your pancreas transplant coordinator at least every two weeks to update us on your medical status.
- Have regular tests to reassess your readiness for a transplant.
- Meet with the transplant surgical team every six months.
Why Choose UPMC for Pancreas Transplant Surgery?
When you choose UPMC for pancreas transplant surgery, you will receive:
- Access to experienced, board-certified specialists — As one of the nation’s most active and experienced transplant programs, UPMC has vast experience in kidney, pancreas, and combined kidney-pancreas transplants.
- Outstanding transplant results — UPMC is among the leading centers in the United States for pancreas transplant volume while maintaining outcomes comparable to national averages.
- Expert care for complex cases — Our skilled team of pancreas transplant surgeons continues to expand their clinical skills and expertise, enabling them to accept many high-risk patients that other transplant centers might decline.
