Waiting for the suitable donor
While you're waiting for a donated pancreas to become available it's important to stay as healthy as possible to increase your chances of a successful transplant.
Take your medications as prescribed.
Follow your diet and exercise guidelines, and maintain a healthy weight.
Do not smoke
Do not drink alcohol
Keep all appointments with your transplant team
Stay involved in healthy activities, including those that benefit your emotional health, such as relaxing and spending time with family and friends
Every patient who is on the pancreas/ kidney-pancreas waiting list has to visit the hospital for giving a sample of his blood every 2- 4 week. This blood is used to do his antibody screen (Panel reactive antibody, PRA). The transplant may be postponed or delayed if we don’t have the current test report at hand when an organ becomes available.
Calling in for a transplant
When a potential deceased donor becomes available, patients are alerted immediately and called to the hospital. They will be asked about their general health, and if on dialysis, about the mode and the last date. They will be told whether they are the “first choice patient” or the “second choice / backup patient”. Due to fragility of the organs, it is necessary to call more than one recipient at any time, so that the organ should not go waste. Organ donation may happen any time of the day or night and so the contact information of the patient needs to be updated regularly in our records. The transplant coordinator has a very limited time to contact any patient. If the “first choice patient” cannot be contacted quickly, then our team will have to identify an alternative recipient to offer him the organ.
Once a donor pancreas becomes available, it must be transplanted into a recipient within 18 to 24 hours. Patients not living in the same city should pre-plan for the emergency trip well in advance. A packed hospital bag should always be kept ready. They should also look out for flight options to our center as well as important phone numbers handy and plan on getting to the hospital quickly. They must alert their employer about sudden leave in advance. They should designate someone who will take care of their family and home in their absence and may make a power of attorney for their businesses.
There may be times when our team call a patient in for a transplant but we are unable to go ahead with the operation. This can be because we have received new adverse information about the donor or the organ may be damaged and therefore not suitable for the transplant. This can be emotionally difficult and frustrating for the patient; however any cancellation is always done for the benefit of the patient and our team will do our best to keep the patient and their attendants informed all the times.
