Pancreas/Islet Transplant Program
The Pancreas/Islet Transplant Program at the Massachusetts General Hospital Transplant Center provides comprehensive, innovative treatment, transplant and management options for patients with type I diabetes, including recent kidney transplant recipients.
- Phone: 617-724-8633
Our Approach Using state-of-the-art technology and leading-edge medical and surgical interventions, the Pancreas/Islet Transplant Program provides patients with timely interventions for type I diabetes, as well as individualized, ongoing care before and after their transplant.
A Multidisciplinary Approach to Pancreas and Islet Transplantation
Islet transplantation is another option for patients who are not candidates for whole organ transplant. For patients who require both a kidney and a pancreas or islet transplant, we offer convenient access to both procedures, as well as the ease and reassurance of receiving comprehensive, innovative care at one center.
Every patient in our program has a personal care team composed of multiple specialists with expertise treating type 1 diabetes and includes:
- Transplant surgeons
- Endocrinologists
- Nephrologists
- Cardiologists
- Immunologists
- Hepatologists
- Ophthalmologists
- Podiatrists
- Nurse diabetes educators
- Dieticians with diabetes expertise
- Vascular specialists
- Therapists
- Pharmacists
- Psychiatrists
- Social workers
- Financial services representatives
- Transplant coordinators
The care team meets regularly and works with the patient and referring physicians to provide the highest quality of care, with the goal of restoring the patient to a full and productive life.
Pancreas and Islet Transplantation Evaluation
All patients receive integrated, comprehensive care to treat their diabetes, beginning with a careful assessment to ensure all available treatment options have been exhausted before transplantation is considered. Patients who cannot achieve acceptable glucose control through other methods are evaluated to determine if they are candidates for a pancreas transplant or an islet transplant.
Both inpatient and outpatient transplant candidates work with a transplant coordinator, who supplements their initial evaluation by gathering:
- Medical information
- Previous test results
- Patient medical history, including prior hospitalizations
The coordinator then manages the patient evaluation, which includes:
- Comprehensive patient education sessions
- Blood work
- An EKG
- Radiology
- Chest X-rays
- Exercise tests
Patients Benefit From State-of-the-Art Interventions
Patients who are not candidates for whole organ transplantation, including those who are over age 55, may be eligible to undergo islet transplantation, a clinical trial currently underway at the Transplant Center. This pioneering, minimally invasive technique replaces the islet beta cells that produce insulin without the greater surgical risk and longer recovery time of a whole organ transplant. Browse online for open trials
The Pancreas Transplant Waiting List
Pancreas transplant candidates are placed on the national United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS) waiting list, which manages the distribution of organs nationwide. In the New England region, the waiting list is managed by the New England Organ Bank.
Specialized Support Services
Our patients benefit from a full spectrum of care that goes far beyond transplantation and includes social support resources for recipients and their families, including:
- Support groups
- Chaplaincy services
- Psychiatrists trained in working with transplant patients
Although transplantation cures patients of the diabetes for which they previously required treatment, they may continue to have diabetes-related symptoms, including hypertension, which we treat in conjunction with the Diabetes Center.
24/7 Access for Patients
After patients are discharged, our nursing team closely monitors their status. Patients can speak with a transplant nurse 24 hours a day about a variety of topics, including:
- Medications
- Diet
- Activity
- General health concerns
About This Program Mass General physicians performed the first islet transplantation in New England in 1988. Since then, we have performed more than 20 islet transplants. Today, we continue to be one of the few centers in New England to offer islet transplantation.
Other program milestones include:
- New England’s first successful pancreas transplant in 1986
- New England’s first successful islet transplant, completed as one of 10 centers worldwide participating in an Immune Tolerance Network (ITN)-sponsored trial
Comprehensive, Leading-Edge Diabetes Care
We offer comprehensive treatment, transplant and management options for patients who require transplantation due to type I diabetes. Also known as insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), juvenile diabetes, brittle diabetes or sugar diabetes, this condition is associated with complications including:
- Hypoglycemia: low blood sugar, sometimes called an insulin reaction
- Hyperglycemia: high blood sugar
- Ketoacidosis: diabetic coma due to untreated or under-treated diabetes
A Dedicated Referral Line for Physicians and PatientsWe provide patients and referring physicians with an experienced access coordinator, a clinician who helps assess patient needs, coordinate appointments and begin the appropriate testing regimen. Contact the Pancreas/Islet Transplant Center’s access coordinator
Calls will be returned within 24 hours.
Leadership in Islet Transplantation
We are the only center in the region that is a part of the multicenter Clinical Islet Transplantation Consortium (CIT), dedicated to advancing the technique of islet transplantation.
We maintain the only active FDA-approved laboratory in New England for the isolation and preparation of islets for transplantation. We are currently working to establish our production facility as the regional distribution center that will allow other programs in the area to also perform islet transplants.
Clinical Research Studies & TrialsOur patients also benefit from the shared expertise and ongoing clinical advancements throughout the Transplant Center. Our groundbreaking work in the area of tolerance induction for kidney transplant patients also has exciting applications for liver transplantation. Read a news article about this breakthrough
Patients interested in participating in clinical trials can browse online for open trials.
Conditions and Diseases
The links below provide more information about conditions and diseases that might be treated within this program.
Biliary Cirrhosis / Bile Duct Cancer
Biliary cirrhosis is a rare form of liver cirrhosis, caused by disease or defects of the bile ducts. Symptoms usually include cholestasis (accumulation of bile in the liver). There are two types of biliary cirrhosis: primary biliary cirrhosis - inflammation and destruction of bile ducts in the liver. secondary biliary cirrhosis - results from prolonged bile duct obstruction or narrowing or closure of the bile duct.
Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes may also be known by a variety of other names, including the following: insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), juvenile diabetes, brittle diabetes, or sugar diabetes.
Pancreatic Cancer
Pancreatic cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer death in men and women in the US. Pancreatic cancer occurs when malignant cells grow out of control.
Support and Wellness
The Transplant Center is dedicated to ensuring that people understand their health care choices and have the necessary information to make decisions affecting their health and well being. The related support and wellness information listed below can play a role in treatment options.
A Patient Guide to Transplantation
Read the Transplant Center's award-winning patient education guide, Transplantation: What Do I Need to Know?
The following related clinical trials and research studies are currently seeking participants at Massachusetts General Hospital. Search for clinical trials and studies in another area of interest.
Pancreas/Islet Transplant Program
55 Fruit StreetBoston, MA 02114
Phone: 617-724-8633
Public Transportation Access: yes
Disabled Access: yes
Make an appointment at the Transplant Center 
Contact the Transplant Center to schedule an appointment with one of our transplant specialists
