Extending Indication for Islet Autotransplantation in Pancreatic Surgery

Islet autotransplantation (IAT) is a therapeutic approach used to prevent pancreatogenic diabetes or to reduce the severity of diabetes after a major pancreatectomy. Total pancreatectomy with IAT is being used almost exclusively for treatment of chronic pancreatitis. More recently, indications other than chronic pancreatitis have been reported including IAT after extended pancreatectomy performed for the resection of benign tumors of the mid-segment of the pancreas or IAT after total pancreatectomy for severe abdominal trauma In this study, we study our experience with IAT for the treatment of a broader population of patients undergoing pancreatic surgery including subjects with technically unfeasible or high risk pancreatic anastomosis during partial pancreatectomy and subjects undergoing completion pancreatectomy because of anastomosis leakage after pancreatoduodenectomy for nonmalignant or malignant diseases.