Simultaneous pancreas‐kidney transplantation in type 1 diabetes mellitus. Clinical options

Abstract

Simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation (SPKT) is the most promising treatment option for patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) due to diabetic nephropathy (DN). Successful SPKT eliminates uremic intoxication and hyperglycemia the leading trigger of vascular diabetic complications. Therefore, euglycemia is an important metabolic change in patients after surgery and remains only one of the factors for the saved renal allograft functioning. In the case of resuming renal replacement therapy by dialysis after SPKT, the management and monitoring of the pancreatic graft remains open. Special attention to the pancreatic grafts function is due to both the potential risk of surgical complications, and some probability of T1DM relapse with the need to resume insulin therapy. In patients with saved function of both transplants, the assessment of the dynamics of diabetic complications in general becomes more important. The results of few studies in this regard remain contradictory. Thus, clinical options can be unpredictably diverse and require not only search for the root cause, but also optimization of rehabilitation tactics, even if the expected results are achieved.