Pancreas Transplant Program

The Pancreas Transplant Program at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi is led by expert transplant surgeons, endocrinologists and nephrologists who provide cutting-edge surgical and medical care across all stages of pancreas transplant procedures.

The pancreas is an organ that produces hormones that regulate the body’s sugar levels, with insulin being the most important.

Unfortunately, Type 1 diabetes destroys the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. This is called an autoimmune attack and occurs when the immune system mistakenly confuses the insulin producing cells as “foreign”.

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s Digestive Disease Institute provides innovative transplantation services to patients from across the region. Our center was the UAE’s first and only multi-organ transplant facility and has performed 386 transplants since its launch in 2017.

• 1st in UAE to Perform Pancreas Transplant
• UAE’s First Combined Kidney-Pancreas Transplant 
• Innovative Transplantation Services to Patients Across the Region
• 1st in UAE to Perform Complex Multi-Organ Transplants

When is a Transplant Needed?

Pancreas transplantation is the ultimate treatment for type 1 diabetes since it restores the cells that produce insulin (beta cells).

A pancreas transplant may be considered for the following:

• Diabetic patients who have trouble regulating their blood sugar with insulin injections and are at risk of dangerously high sugar with ketoacidosis.
• Diabetic patients with hypoglycemia unawareness, where the patient is no longer aware of the symptoms of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). The common symptoms of low blood sugar; dizziness, sweating and generally unwell feeling do not warn the patient of their condition until they are confused or become unresponsive.
• Type 1 diabetic patients with renal failure: In the case of renal failure, and the need for dialysis, a combined kidney and pancreas transplant should be considered as treatment.

Pre-Transplant Evaluation

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi offers specialized care programs for diabetic patients that may require a pancreas transplant surgery when other treatments have not been effective.

Pre-transplant patients will undergo a number of evaluations and tests across different specialties, which may vary depending on the person’s age and medical history. A holistic evaluation will follow, along with recommendations from our specialized pancreas transplant surgeons.

Transplant Surgery

The duration of the surgery varies. Rigorous preparation is done by all caregivers at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi with the patient and his or her family to ensure the best possible medical outcome and comfort of the patient’s loved ones.

Post-Transplant Treatment

Post-transplant care is centered primarily on close monitoring for signs that the organ is being rejected, or that the patient is developing an infection. Follow-up support for post-surgery patients includes regular consultations with our experts.