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Department of Surgery

Division of Solid Organ Transplantation

Procedures

Pancreas Transplant Surgery

The Transplant Process - Recovery in the Hospital

You’ll probably stay in the hospital for about a week or two after surgery. Immediately after surgery, you’ll be taken to the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU). After a day or so there, you’ll go to the Inpatient Transplant Unit where you’ll take medicines to prevent infections and rejection of your new pancreas. Your doctor will check for possible post-operative problems, such as:

  • Clotting of major vessels: If the major artery and vein that supplies blood to the pancreas becomes blocked, the pancreas can fail and will have to be removed.

  • Major bleeding: Sometimes (not often) small blood vessels in the new pancreas bleed and need to be tied off in a second surgery.

  • Leaking from intestinal connection: If the bowel doesn’t heal together after the transplant surgery, there may be leakage and infection and a second surgery may be needed to repair this.

  • Pancreatitis: This is an inflammation of the new pancreas that can prevent it from working right or cause fluid accumulation in the abdomen and/or pain.

You’ll also be prepared for your return home. You’ll be given a schedule for follow-up visits and routine blood draws, and a 24-hour phone number for emergencies or other problems. You’ll learn how to deal with the medicines you’ll be taking and their side effects, recognize rejection symptoms, plan proper diets and generally take responsibility for your recovery at home. The transplant coordinator, social worker, and psychiatrist are all available when needed. The social worker will help arrange your discharge needs, such as rehabilitation or long-term placement, chemical dependency counseling, and transportation home. You’ll also be offered a referral to a community health nurse who can help you at home.

More About the Transplant Process

  2. Waiting for an Organ
  3. Transplant Surgery
  4. Recovery
  5. Long-term Management