Department of Surgery

Division of Solid Organ Transplantation

Procedures

Pancreas Transplant Surgery

Rejection

Rejection occurs when your body's natural defenses, called the immune system, damage the new pancreas. Your immune system keeps you healthy by fighting against things that don't belong in your body, such as bacteria and viruses. After a transplant, it is common for your body to consider the new organ to be a “foreign substance” and have your immune system fight against it and try to destroy it. Pancreases attached so that they drain into the bladder are rejected less often than pancreases attached in other body sites.

Watch for signs of rejection, such as:

Medicines will keep your body from rejecting the new pancreas. These drugs are called immunosuppressants because they suppress (weaken) your immune system’s ability to reject your new organ.

But because your immune system is weakened, you can get infections more easily. That’s why you’ll need to stay away from sick people. In some people, over long periods of time, this diminished immunity can also increase the risk of developing cancer or cause cataracts, diabetes, extra stomach acid, high blood pressure, bone disease, and liver or kidney damage. Despite these risks, a transplant may still be your best treatment option for pancreas failure.

Some drugs may also change your appearance: your face may get fuller; you may gain weight or develop acne or facial hair. But not all people have these problems, though, and diet and makeup can help.

Even if you do everything you're supposed to do to prevent rejection, your body may still reject the new pancreas and you may need to go back on dialysis. Unless your health care team determines that you're no longer a good candidate for transplantation, you can go back on the waiting list for another pancreas.

More About the Transplant Process