Deceased (Brain Dead) Pancreas Donor
Brain death is sudden death after an accident, brain hemorrhage or stroke with irreversible brain damage, not compatible with life. Brain dead patients may be artificially maintained on a ventilator and supportive medications for a short duration of time and may be able to donate their organs for transplantation. However, this can only happen if the near-relative or family of such brain-dead patient consents for donation. Donation by a single deceased donor can allow as many as eight life-saving organ transplants and numerous life enhancing tissue replacements.
Ideal pancreas donor is a young healthy brain-dead donor between the ages of 5 to 55 years, weighing at least 30 kg and with a BMI of less than 30kg/m2. He must have the same or compatible blood group as of the recipient.
The donor pancreas (and also the kidney, in case of combined pancreas-kidney transplant) has to match immunologically with the recipient’s body. This is important to help reduce the risk of rejection.
Even when these donor characteristics are favorable, the pancreas may still be found to be not suitable for transplantation based on direct visualization.
