Pancreas after Kidney transplant (PAK)
A PAK can be offered to patients with T1DM who have received a previous kidney transplant from either a living or deceased donor. This group accounts for approximately 20% of patients undergoing pancreas transplant worldwide. Usually a time interval of 3 months is favored between the kidney and pancreas transplant operations.
The transplant team will determine whether it's better for the patient to have pancreas and kidney transplants during the same surgery (SPK), or to have the kidney transplant first, followed by the pancreas transplant later (PAK). The option that's right for the patient will depend on the severity of kidney damage, the availability of donors and his preference.
