SEVERE diabetics are set to benefit from a pancreas transplant programme that has been established at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin.
Two women have successfully undergone the operation and no longer need to take insulin and are now leading "normal' lifestyles, according to Mr David Hickey, a consultant urologist and transplant surgeon at the hospital.
Some 10,000 people suffer from type 1 diabetes mellitas in the Republic. A number of these suffer from hypoglcaemic unawareness, which means they find it impossible to stabilise their sugar level. This can make the condition life threatening. "This carries major implications for their lifestyle and can also affect their careers," explained Mr Hickey.
He added that one of the women who had had the operation used to be in hospital "practically every second week", but now her health has improved dramatically. The two patients no longer have to inject insulin, are back at work, and can eat and drink what they wish.
He expects that up to 100 of these transplants could be carried out in the Republic annually, giving the recipients perfect glucose control. A pancreas is transplanted into the lower part of the abdomen and the existing pancreas is left in place. As with any transplant it is necessary for the patient to take immunosuppressant medication long-term.
"There is a dilemma because people have to take immunosuppressants and you have to weigh up the risks. Some cases are very clear cut when the patient's quality of life is so poor there is no difficulty in deciding to carry out the operation," said Mr Hickey.
He said that most transplants for diabetics involve both pancreas and a kidney, and at present about 10 per cent worldwide are pancreas only.