Pancreas Transplantation
Definition
Pancreas transplantation is a surgical procedure in which a diseased pancreas is replaced with a healthy pancreas that has been obtained from an immunologically compatible cadavear or living donor.
Purpose
The pancreas secretes insulin that regulates glucose (blood sugar) metabolism. Patients with type I diabetes have experienced partial or complete damage to the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas. Consequently, they are unable to generate sufficient insulin to control blood glucose levels. Long-term uncontrolled high blood glucose levels can cause damage to every system of the body, so type I patients must inject insulin to do the work of the beta cells. Pancreas transplantation allows the body to once again make and secrete its own insulin, and establishes insulin...
[The entire page is 1438 words long]
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