What To Expect From A Pancreas Transplant

Recovery Process

Following a pancreatic transplant, the patient will remain in the intensive care unit of the hospital to have close vital monitoring for several days. Once the patient's vitals balance out and their body reaches a stable state, they are moved into the transplant recovery unit. The patient stays in the transplant recovery unit of the hospital for around a week to help control their pain and begin the recovery process. Following discharge from the hospital, the patient will be closely monitored by their physician for a period of between three and four weeks and must stay in a location close to the transplant center during this time. Even after the patient has fully recovered from their pancreas transplant, they will need to take immunosuppressive medications for the rest of their life. This mechanism ensures the patient's immune system is unable to attack and reject the donor pancreas. Patients who experience high blood pressure and frequent infections following their transplant may need to stay on additional medications for the long term.